New Orleans

Last prosecutor on Michael Flynn case departs Mueller's office

Her departure comes on the heels of reports that another Mueller prosecutor would leave the office in coming days and is sure to be seen as a new indication that the special counsel’s investigation is winding down.

Warren tests 2020 message with black voters in U.S. South

Affordable housing is a chief concern for the senator from Massachusetts, who recently reintroduced a $500 billion housing plan she says will create millions of housing units and reduce rental costs by 10 percent. During meetings with housing advocates in Memphis, Tennessee, and walking tours of small Mississippi towns, Warren, who is white, tested and tailored her central message of combating income inequality to black voters, a critical Democratic voting bloc. "I'm running to be president of all the people, and it's important to go around the country and have a chance to talk with people face to face," Warren told reporters after a town hall that drew about 500 people to a high school in Memphis.

Utrecht shooting: Turkish-born suspect, 37, arrested after three killed in 'possible terror attack'

Dutch police have arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of shooting three people dead and wounding five others in a possible terror attack on a tram. The Turkish-born suspect, Gökmen Tanis, was on the run since Monday morning, forcing vast parts of Utrecht city – including mosques, schools and businesses – into lockdown. Although the local terror threat level was set to a maximum of five, as the day progressed increasing evidence on social and international media suggested the attack could have been personally motivated. During the eight-hour manhunt, residents were advised to stay indoors and police were sent to secure mosques across the Netherlands. In an unusual move, police had named and released photographs of Mr Tanis, a local resident born in Turkey, who is thought to have unleashed a volley of shots on a tram in a quiet, residential area before fleeing in a stolen, red Renault Clio. Police named Tanis as someone they wanted to speak to following the shooting  Local chief public prosecutor Rutger Jeuken said that early indications suggested a terror attack. “The first interpretation of what happened according to witness statements and the evidence we have found suggest a terrorist motive, although we cannot rule out other motives,” he said in a press conference in the evening. But the police acknowledged in a Twitter feed of press releases that other reports in Dutch and Turkish media suggested that there might have been personal motives, possibly targeting a woman who could have been a step-sister or ex-partner. Mr Tanis had reportedly been sentenced for an attempted killing in 2013 after he fired shots towards an apartment building.  Armed police were scrambled to a manhunt in Utrecht after three people were killed in the attack Credit: BPC/WENN He was in court two weeks ago accused of a rape in 2017, and had previously been arrested for attempted vehicle theft, driving under the influence of intoxicants and spitting at police. Mark Rutte, the prime minister, said in a press conference that all flags on government buildings would hang at half-mast tomorrow: “It is still unclear what the motive behind the attack was: terrorist or otherwise, we don't know and we can't exclude anything. "[Whatever the] motive, three people have died and three are fighting for their lives. The whole world is feeling this, and we should not think of this as less than it is.” The shooting took place at the 24 Oktoberplein area, and eye-witnesses said that after shouts of “shooter”, people fled from the tram. The area was quickly shut off by police, three trauma helicopters were called, and armed police and anti-terror forces flooded the streets. Greet Oldenlam, 65, said that she saw paramedics carry a body covered with a bloodstained sheet from the tram. “I can’t believe this happened in my city,” she said. “[It] seems like nowhere is safe now. Those poor people attacked in the tram on a quiet Monday.” Utrecht tram shooting - locator map A witness on the tram, Daan Molenaar, told Dutch broadcaster NOS: “I saw someone lying behind the tram and thought she had been ridden over. "People came out of cars running towards her. Then a shooter came running with a pistol up, and heard people shouting ‘shooter!’ I ran.” As schools and businesses closed their doors, inhabitants stood outside their homes, looking up dumbfounded as helicopters and drones flew over the area. Police forces and emergency services stand at the 24 Oktoberplace in Utrecht Credit: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/AFP Later, armed police surrounded a first-floor apartment in the nearby street of Trumanlaan and the red car was discovered on a nearby road with doors open and engine running. In a press conference on Monday evening, police announced that a second suspect had also been arrested during the day. “Today is a black day for our city,” said mayor Van Zanen. Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.

Supreme Court will decide if convicted sniper in 2002 District of Columbia-area killings can get new sentence

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether life-without-parole sentences for the primary gunman in a series of D.C.-area murders in 2002 must be reconsidered.

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS Will Be the Most Expensive Car Built in America

Mercedes has confirmed plans for an ultra-luxurious Maybach version of the upcoming third-gen GLS.

Syria army vows to retake control of Kurdish areas

Syrian government forces will reclaim control of northeastern areas controlled by the US-backed Kurds, whether by force or through reconciliation, the defence minister warned Monday. Marginalised for decades, Syria's minority Kurds have carved out a de-facto autonomous region across some 30 percent of the nation's territory since the devastating war broke out in 2011. Backed by a US-led coalition, Kurdish forces have spearheaded an offensive in Syria against the Islamic State group.

US weather: Thousands flee midwest as three die amid flooding triggered by 'bomb cyclone'

Thousands of people are being forced to leave their homes after a so-called bomb cyclone brought flooding to huge swathes of the American midwest. From Nebraska to Kansas, and Missouri to Illinois, residents have been evacuated amid flooding that has killed at least three people. The governors of Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin have declared states of emergency.

I got into 39 colleges without cheating: What applying to schools looks like in 2019

Jordan Nixon got into 39 colleges without any celebrity parents or $500,000 bribes. But that doesn't mean it wasn't "stressful to say the least."

Brotherly love at Reliance? India's Mukesh Ambani provides 'support' to brother Anil as debt paid off

India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, who controls oil-to-telecoms powerhouse Reliance Industries that is now worth many times the troubled business group run by his younger brother Anil, appears to have offered some kind of support to ensure Anil paid off a 5.5 billion rupees ($80 million) debt. If Anil didn't pay the debt, then he had been threatened by India's Supreme Court with a prison term. The nature of the backing and how it was delivered is unclear, but in a statement Anil Ambani thanked his billionaire brother "for standing by me during these trying times, and demonstrating the importance of staying true to our strong family values by extending this timely support".

'We need a million -- and quick!' Dem candidates' playbook

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, little known outside his home state, boasts he raised over $1 million in the days after launching his White House bid. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and others say they did, too.

New Zealand shooting: Jacinda Ardern to announce gun law reforms within 10 days

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's prime minister, said on Monday gun law reforms would be announced in 10 days, after meeting her cabinet for the first time since the massacre in Christchurch. The shock of the attacks, in which 50  people were killed and dozens wounded at two mosques, has led to calls for an immediate tightening of laws to restrict access to some firearms, particularly semi-automatic weapons. Ms Ardern said on Monday that her cabinet had made in principle decisions around the reform of gun laws following the mass shooting in Christchurch "I intend to give further details of these decisions to the media and the public before cabinet meets again next Monday," she said at a press conference. "This ultimately means that within 10 days of this horrific act of terrorism we will have announced reforms which will, I believe, make our community safer." Terror in New Zealand | Read more She said an inquiry would look at the lead up to attack and what might have been done differently. The owner of a New Zealand gun store said on Monday the man charged with murder in Christchurch's mass shooting had bought firearms and ammunition online from the store, but it did not sell him the high-powered weapon used in the mosque shootings. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, was charged with murder on Saturday. Tarrant was remanded without a plea and is due back in court on April 5 where police said he was likely to face more charges. Gun City owner David Tipple said the alleged gunman bought four weapons and ammunition between December 2017 and March 2018. "The MSSA, military-style automatic, reportedly used by the alleged gunman was not purchased from Gun City. Gun City did not sell him an MSSA, only A-category firearms," Mr Tipple told a news conference in Christchurch. Gun City owner David Tipple gestures during a press conference in Christchurch Credit: AP Under New Zealand gun laws, A-category weapons can be semi-automatic but limited to seven shots. Video of a gunman in one mosque showed a semi-automatic with a large magazine round. Mr Tipple said the online purchases followed a police-verified online mail-order process and A-category firearms were bought in three or four purchases. "We detected nothing extraordinary about the licence holder. He was a brand new purchaser, with a brand new licence," he said. Tightening New Zealand's gun laws was at the top of Ms Ardern's agenda for the Cabinet meeting on Monday. "What the public rightly are asking right now is why is it and how is it that you are currently able to buy military style semi-automatic weapons in New Zealand, and that's the right question to ask," Ms Ardern told TVNZ earlier on Monday. "There are ways we can bring in effective regulation of firearms that actually target those we need to target and that is our focus." Mr Tipple said he supported Ardern's call for gun law reforms as the Christchurch shootings had raised legitimate concerns. New Zealand, a country of only 5 million people, has an estimated 1.5 million firearms. The minimum age for a gun license is 16, and 18 to own a semi-automatic weapon. A Radio New Zealand report, based on police data secured through an Official Information Act request, said more than 99 percent of people who applied for a firearms licence in 2017 were successful. A New Zealand standard A-category firearm licence is issued after a police and background check. No licence is required to buy a large round magazine, which can be illegally modified for use in such a weapon. Only firearm owners are licensed, not weapons, so there is no monitoring of how many weapons a person may possess. The plans for gun control measures came as Tarrant's court-appointed lawyer said the suspect intended to represent himself.  Duty lawyer Richard Peters, who represented Tarrant during the preliminary court hearing, told AFP the 28-year-old "indicated he does not want a lawyer". "He wants to be self-represented in this case," said Mr Peters, who played down suggestions that Tarrant may not be fit for trial. "The way he presented was rational and someone who was not suffering any mental disability. That's how he appeared. He seemed to understand what was going on," Mr Peters said. New Zealand mosque massacre - In pictures Ms Ardern was the first signatory of a national condolence book for the country's worst mass killing that she opened in the capital Wellington on Monday. "On behalf of all New Zealanders, we grieve together. We are one. They are us," she wrote in the book. Frustration was building among the families of victims as under Islam it is custom to conduct burials within 24 hours, but bodies will not be released until post mortems are carried out. Deputy Police Commissioner Wally Haumaha said the first body was approved for release on Sunday night, but the family was yet to take the body because another relative was also killed and they wanted to collect them together. He said there would be no burials on Monday. "We’ve been working fairly hard through the night to ensure the process of returning the deceased to their loved ones is taking place expediently," he said. The burial process, which usually involves washing with three kinds of water, salving wounds and scrubbing skin, would be complicated, volunteers in Christchurch said. Muslims embrace after overseeing the excavating of graves at a Muslim cemetery in Christchurch, New Zealand Credit: AP Mo, a volunteer who had flown in from Brisbane to wash the bodies, said the people who died in the mosques were classified as martyrs. That meant there were different views as to whether they would be washed or not because he said Islamic jurisprudence said martyrs are not to be washed as their blood was witness to their martyrdom. "But some people have said because it was not a battlefield it is okay to wash the body. But it is at the discretion of the family," said Mo. He asked to be identified by just one name. The two mosques involved in the shootings have been closed since the massacre, but are expected to reopen by Friday prayers after cleansing blessings were carried out, said Haumaha. "This morning we conducted two important blessings at the Deans Avenue mosques and the Linwood mosque," he said. "This blessing this morning gave them (the Muslim community) huge confidence...We hope to have those premises in place by the end of the week to allow our Muslim community to go back and undertake prayer." Sign up for your essential, twice-daily briefing from The Telegraph with our free Front Page newsletter.

Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill was reportedly being investigated for incidents of battery against his 3-year-old

Kansas City Chiefs star Tyreek Hill was reportedly being investigated for incidents of battery against his 3-year-old son. The investigation reportedly comes after Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, filed multiple police reports where their three-year-old son was listed as the victim.

Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are not alone. See the list of who has been charged.

Thirty-three parents were among the 50 charged in a nationwide college admissions scam, which includes two well-known actresses and CEOs.

Trump's likely pick for Pentagon job makes 'trains run on time.' Can he do much more?

Some observers credit Shanahan’s business experience as an asset in the Pentagon.

A week after Ethiopia crash, questions swirl around Boeing

Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft are grounded across the world following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, casting a harsh spotlight on the plane's safety certification and the close relationship between Boeing and American authorities. On March 10, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed southeast of Addis Ababa, killing the 157 people on board. It was the second accident in five months for a 737 MAX aircraft, a product line meant to replace the 737 NG.

Three dead, one missing in devastating floods across U.S. Midwest

As floodwaters began to recede in much of the area inundated by the aftermath of a storm dubbed a "bomb cyclone," Nebraska officials were taking in the damage in a state where 64 of the 93 counties have declared emergencies. "This is clearly the most widespread disaster we have had in our state's history," in terms of sheer size, Governor Pete Ricketts told reporters on an afternoon briefing call. State officials said on the call that 290 people had been rescued by the Nebraska State Patrol, National Guard troops, and urban search and rescue teams.

Poppy apocalypse: Crowds descend on California city to see 'superbloom'

The rare profusion of orange poppies in Walker Canyon, set in the Temescal Mountains and accessible on foot via a trail, owes thanks to above-average rainfall in the arid region. The profusion of tourists in Lake Elsinore, located about 70 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, apparently owes thanks to the popularity of Instagram. The city of 63,300 has seen 50,000 tourists from around the country and as far away as Europe come to the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) trail in Walker Canyon over the last two weeks to take in the orange flowers carpeting the surrounding hills.

Biggest obstacle to passage of Green New Deal? Democratic lawmakers

Democrats agree that climate change needs to be addressed. Pronto. But they're divided on if Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez' Green New Deal is the answer.

NY self-help guru pleads not guilty to child porn charges

NEW YORK (AP) — The spiritual leader of an upstate New York self-help group pleaded not guilty on Monday to newly filed child pornography charges at a hearing where it became clear that his co-defendants are trying to avoid going to trial with him next month.

New Zealand shooting is warning for US: Get serious about white supremacist terror threat

Why is there controversy over whether right-wing, racially motivated violent extremism is a growing danger? It is and we need to treat it that way.

USC to deny students connected to cheating scheme class registration, transcripts as their status is frozen

USC says it won't let students currently at the school who may be connected to the nation's college admissions bribery scandal to register for class.

Never-Trumpers assess his mental health: 'His condition is getting worse'

The president's 29-tweet Sunday raises eyebrows.

Dutch police arrest suspect after three shot dead on tram

Dutch police on Monday arrested a Turkish-born suspect over a shooting on a tram in Utrecht that left three people dead in what officials said was a possible terror attack. Police had earlier launched a huge manhunt for Gokmen Tanis, 37, issuing a picture of the suspected gunman and warning the public not to approach him following the attack, in which five other people were wounded. Mosques and schools were closed across the Netherlands' fourth-largest city following the bloodshed, before heavily armed officers surrounded a building and arrested him.

Meet the Smith & Wesson Model 39/59: The Navy SEALs Old Gun

The Smith & Wesson Model 39 semi-automatic handgun served U.S. Navy SEALs during the Vietnam War and then went on to become one of the American nine-millimeter high capacity pistols, the Model 59.

Stanford reports that Apple Watch can detect heart rate irregularities

This weekend researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine revealed their findings that suggest that Apple wearable technology can safely and accurately identify irregular heartbeat. In November of 2017, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine began an Apple-sponsored study designed to determine "whether a mobile app that uses data from a heart-rate pulse sensor on the Apple Watch can identify atrial fibrillation." The first results of the Apple Heart Study were presented on Saturday, confirming that Apple wearable technology can, in fact, accurately identify pulse irregularities.

J&J and Sientra get FDA warning letters over breast implants

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to Sientra Inc and a Johnson & Johnson unit for failing to comply with the post-approval study requirements for their breast implants. Last month, the FDA issued a statement warning doctors about a type of lymphoma linked to breast implants after receiving reports of the disease. The agency's letters, dated March 18, highlighted issues in the companies' post-approval studies, which included evaluating the long-term performance and safety of the implants, used for breast augmentation and reconstruction procedures.

The Latest: CEO says Boeing working to ensure 737s are safe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Ethiopian Airlines crash (all times local):

NZ returns first shooting dead after delay angers families

The bodies of six of the Christchurch massacre victims have been released to their families, New Zealand police said Tuesday, but they warned only a fraction of the 50 people killed had been fully identified, with the delay angering anguished relatives. Muslims whose loved ones were gunned down by an Australian white supremacist at two mosques last Friday have had their grief compounded by the failure of the authorities to return bodies to families in time for a speedy burial, as required under Islamic custom. Police in Christchurch said only 12 of the 50 victims had been identified, and appeared to warn next of kin to brace for further delays.

Paris police chief fired over Champs-Elysées riots as French government to ban protests in trouble spots

The Paris police chief has been fired for failing to contain violent riots that saw a string of flagship restaurants and shops torched along the French capital’s famed Champs-Elysées. The government announcement came after top security officials acknowledged that attempts by 5,000 police to stop several hundred black-clad rioters running amok along “the world’s most beautiful avenue” for seven hours on Saturday had been an abject “failure”. Nominally part of the ”yellow vest" movement, masked rioters burned down the famous Fouquet's restaurant as well as several newspaper stands, a string of luxury shops and vehicles. The shocking weekend scenes, in which a mother and child narrowly escaped death in a burning building, pose a fresh security headache to Emmanuel Macron, the French president, after four months of “gilet jaunes” protests and amid opposition claims he is a soft touch on hooligans. Caught napping, Mr Macron had rushed back from a ski break to pledge "strong measures” amid calls on social media for fresh violence next Saturday. The Right-wing opposition accused the president of being a soft touch, while police unions said they had not been given sufficiently robust orders to engage with rioters. Paris' police chief is to be replaced for failing to quell riots in the French capital on Saturday Credit: ZAKARIA ABDELKAFI/AFP After crisis security talks on Monday, Edouard Philippe, the French prime minister, said: “The strategy for maintaining order was not correctly executed.” As a result, he said Paris police chief Michel Delpuech would be replaced by the current state prefect of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, Didier Lallement. Mr Philippe pledged to ban “yellow vest” demonstrations in the worst-hit areas - including the Champs-Elysées but also squares in the cities of Bordeaux and Toulouse - if police deem they have been infiltrated by ultra-violent trouble makers. In these three areas, police will have “greater autonomy” to disband any groups with the use of“drones” and “marker products” to identity individuals. Fines for those who participate in illegal gatherings will be “significantly increased”. Mr Philippe also promised to beef up Paris’ police’s security doctrine to engage in more “contact” with rioters at the behest of police unions, despite the risk of greater injury. "You have to take responsibility and engage, with the possibility that people will get hurt," said Frederic Lagache of the Alliance police union. France has for decades preferred to tackle mass protests with tear gas and rubber bullets but avoid physical clashes against large groups. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced the government decision to replace the Paris police chief and ban "yellow vest" protests in trouble spots Credit:  BERTRAND GUAY/AFP In another potentially controversial move, Mr Philippe effectively backed greater use of “defensive ball launchers”, or LBD, which a top French rights ombudsman and the UN have criticised as too dangerous. Dozens of protesters have been injured by these, including some who claim to have lost an eye after being hit by such rubber projectiles.  One police union said LBDs had been replaced with “marshmallows” to placate such groups, leaving officers exposed against protesters hurling paving stones and other weapons. Mr Philippe said he regretted that “inappropriate orders had been given (on Saturday) to reduce their use”. The new surge in violence came as the four-month-old yellow vest movement demanding economic justice was dying down and a nationwide “great debate” on those demands came to a close. Mr Macron’s participation in a string of discussions had seen his popularity rise after plummeting early on in the protests but commentators said the latest violence risks seeing those gains falter. Some 91 businesses were damaged in last Saturday's riots Last month the French parliament passed an "anti-troublemakers" bill, which will only take effect once the Constitutional Council rubber stamps it. If enacted, it will grant regional prefects powers to prevent people seen as a serious threat to public order from protesting, and would force protesters involved in violence to pay for damage. It would also make it a crime for protesters to conceal their faces, punishable by up to one year in prison and a €15,000 (£13,000) fine. The bill has been criticised by rights groups, opposition members and even members of Mr Macron's centrist party as going too far in restricting freedoms. The Right-wing opposition says it doesn’t go far enough.  The Paris region's Chamber of Commerce said 91 businesses suffered damage in the Champs-Elysées riots. It called for an "emergency plan" to support the those shopkeepers and employees.  The French insurance federation put the figure for claims linked to yellow vest violence over the past four months at €170 million, not counting last Saturday's damage.

`Concerning` Photo of Student with Gun Outside High School Prompts Investigation

An image of a Glen Allen High School student holding what appeared to be a gun outside the school has alarmed parents and students.

Joe Biden comes close to announcing presidential candidacy, denounces Trump

The speech came at a time when speculation over whether the 76-year-old politician will run for president has intensified.

Navy vs. Nukes: U.S. Navy Plans to Test Missile Defenses Against ICBM

The Pentagon plans a “first-of-its-kind” test of an unprecedented weapons capability to intercept and destroy an enemy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile "ICBM" -- from a Navy ship at sea using a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA.

New British Airways business class seat features door and lie-flat beds

British Airways has pulled back the curtain on its new business class seat which features a sliding door for privacy, flat-bed seats, vanity and increased storage space. 

New entrant makes early running in German 5G auction

MAINZ/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany's auction of spectrum for 5G mobile networks drew brisk initial bidding on Tuesday with prospective new entrant 1&1 Drillisch submitting bold offers for the frequencies it covets. Drillisch, run by maverick tycoon Ralph Dommermuth, is vying to become a fourth operator in Europe's largest economy - a move that could benefit consumers but pressure the margins of the three existing players. Drillisch, majority owned by United Internet , put down a marker in the first round by staking more than 20 million euros apiece for 10 of the 41 blocks of spectrum on offer.

Floodwaters threaten millions in crop and livestock losses

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmer Jeff Jorgenson looks out over 750 acres of cropland submerged beneath the swollen Missouri River, and he knows he probably won't plant this year.

NZ pledges gun control as mosque 'gunman' sacks lawyer

New Zealand will tighten gun laws in the wake of its worst modern-day massacre, the government said Monday, as it emerged that the white supremacist accused of carrying out the killings at two mosques will represent himself in court. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her coalition was unified on the need to reduce the availability of the kind of weapons used by Brenton Tarrant as he went room to room shooting Muslims gathered for Friday prayers. "We have made a decision as a cabinet, we are unified," she said, flanked by her coalition partner and deputy prime minister, Winston Peters.

Deadly Palestinian attack puts security in focus before Israel polls

Israeli forces on Monday hunted a Palestinian who they said killed two people in the occupied West Bank, an attack that put security back at the forefront of the country's electoral campaign. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose popularity rests largely on his reputation as a security hardliner, visited the site of the attack and pledged tough action, including the demolition of the assailant's home. The centrist Blue and White alliance criticised Netanyahu's camp for what it said was the politicisation of Sunday's attack, which killed a 19-year-old soldier and a rabbi.

Vandals target WWII memorial in Boston

The South Boston community is outraged after an oily substance is left on the World War II monument.

College admissions scandal: What did the students know about 'the side door,' and what should happen next?

No students have been charged in the sweeping college admissions scandal, which involved bribery, test doctoring and fraud. What becomes of them?

Elizabeth Warren: Time to end the Electoral College

Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential primary candidate Elizabeth Warren called for ending the

Trump news: President rails at Joe Biden as 2020 announcement looms, after New Zealand terror complaint and angry attack on John McCain

Donald Trump has targeted Joe Biden after the former vice president made a verbal slip about a potential 2020 presidential bid. At a dinner over the weekend, Mr Biden said he had “the most progressive record of anybody running.” But Mr Biden hasn’t announced whether he will launch a third run for the White House.

Massive fire at Houston petrochemical storage terminal may last two more days

A massive fire at a fuels storage company along the Houston Ship Channel may burn for two more days, an official said on Monday as the blaze spread a plume of black smoke across the city, shutting schools in two nearby communities. The fire began Sunday morning in a giant storage tank containing naphtha, a volatile substance used to create octane-boosting components of gasoline. No injuries were reported from the fire but nearby residents were encouraged to remain indoors.

Woman pleads guilty to sneaking aboard international flight

CHICAGO (AP) — A woman who's been dubbed a serial stowaway was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months of probation after pleading guilty to sneaking past Chicago airport security last year, boarding a plane and flying to London without a ticket.

US sanctions Venezuela state gold mining company: Treasury

The United States slapped sanctions Tuesday on a Venezuelan state mining company, charging that its illicit gold operations were being used to prop up President Nicolas Maduro and his inner circle. The action was taken against CVG Compania General de Mineria de Venezuela CA, or Minerven, and its president Adrian Antonio Perdomo Mata, the US Treasury Department said.

Take 40% off a Nectar mattress and get two free pillows on Amazon — a better deal than on Nectar's site

Clouds look so comfy, right?As a kid, I was disheartened to find out that clouds are just visible masses of water and don't work like trampolines. As an adult, it's even more disheartening to know that achieving that level of fluff for sleeping just isn't gonna happen.A mattress from Nectar could get close, though: These internet favorite mattressees-in-a-box are more than 40% off on Amazon today, saving you up to $340. You'll also get two gel memory foam pillows at no cost when you buy a mattress -- an extra value worth $150.Nectar's official site is currently offering the deal it always has: $125 off a mattress (when you enter your email address) and two free pillows. However, that deal is barely over 15% off. With Amazon's deal, you're saving at least $100 more regardless of the size.SEE ALSO: Your guide to the best online mattress: Casper, Nectar, Leesa, and moreStomach, side, and back sleepers alike should appreciate Nectar's advanced comfort features, which come in the form of three (yup, three) memory foam layers. Our story on the best online mattresses crowned Nectar as the best mattress for comfort. Here's why: 1. The top layer is made of quilted gel memory foam that contours to your body and provides extra loft. 2. The middle layer is Nectar's patented Lush Foam that evenly distributes your weight and offers the perfect combo of firm and soft that Nectar is known for. 3. The bottom layer is an adaptive hi-core memory foam that supports your body and prevents sinking.Compared to Casper, Nectar provides about one more inch of memory foam, making it extra cushioned for people who need back support or have sharp pressure points. The three layers are cocooned between a temperature control cover and a breathable base layer to circulate air and wick away heat, even on the sweatiest nights. A quilted Nectar pillow.Image: nectarPrices by size are as follows: * Twin -- $279.30 (regular price $399) * Twin XL -- $328.30 (regular price $594) * Full -- $419.30 (regular price $724) * Queen -- $489.30 (regular price $824) * King -- $599.30 (regular price $1,024) * California King -- $599.30 (regular price $1,024)Choose your size and grab your two free pillows here. If you're skeptical, there's a 180-night home trial and a forever warranty. Image: nectar Shop Amazon's Nectar Mattress sale -- up to $340 off See Details