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'Gaetz-crasher': Here's why a Republican lawmaker was barred from closed-door testimony

When Republican congressman Matt Gaetz tried to attend an impeachment inquiry deposition Monday morning in the U.S. Capitol, he ran smack into the often arcane and confusing rules of Congress. Here's why he wasn't allowed to attend.

Utah firefighters get purple manicures aiding girl in crash

Two Utah firefighters responding to a car crash left the scene with purple manicures after calming a young girl upset over the collision. North Davis Fire District Chief Allen Hadley and Captain Kevin Lloyd checked on the crying and screaming girl while medics evaluated her mother. The two dads, both fathers of young girls, soothed the upset girl by allowing her to paint their nails after the car accident Saturday in the northern Utah city of Clearfield.

White Fort Worth officer resigns after killing black woman

A white Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed a black woman in her home while responding to a call about an open front door acted without justification and resigned Monday before he could be fired, the police chief said. Police bodycam video showed that Aaron Dean did not identify himself as an officer and fired a split-second after shouting at Atatiana Jefferson to show her hands. Jefferson, 28, was killed in front of her 8-year-old nephew, cut down by a bullet fired through her window early Saturday.

Police: Chicago man who killed 5 wrote threatening notes

A Chicago man who gunned down five of his neighbors over the weekend had had angry run-ins with his fellow tenants and left cryptic notes on his door suggesting he was planning an act of violence, authorities said Monday. Investigators still haven't determined the exact reason why 66-year-old Krysztof Marek shot four neighbors as they were sitting down for dinner on Saturday before chasing down a fleeing woman who lived upstairs and shooting her in the head outside of the building on the city's northwest side, police said. During a hearing Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, prosecutors said they found two threatening notes written in Marek's native Polish language that were taped to his apartment door.

Righting 'sins of omission': Monument honors Virginia women

Around a thousand people filled Virginia's Capitol Square for the dedication Monday of statues honoring some of the state's trailblazing women, part of a monument organizers say is unlike any other in the country. The new women's monument, about a decade in the making, will eventually feature a dozen life-sized bronze statues dotting a granite plaza a short distance from the Capitol in Richmond. Girl Scouts pulled blue drapes off the seven figures being dedicated Monday, including Native American chieftain Cockacoeske and Jamestown colonist Anne Burras Laydon, as the women's names were read aloud.

The Latest: Texas officer resigns in 1-sentence letter

A white police officer in Fort Worth who authorities say fatally shot a black woman in her home resigned in a one-sentence letter Monday. Aaron Dean's letter said: "Effective immediately I am tendering my resignation from the Fort Worth Police Department." The letter was released by the state's largest police union, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. Fort Worth police say Dean shot Atatiana Jefferson while responding to a report of an open door at her home.

Oilfield services firm ProPetro cuts almost 150 workers: sources

Midland, Texas-based ProPetro said last week it would cut the number of hydraulic fracturing fleets operated this quarter by as much as 28%, far surpassing analysts' expectations. Halliburton Co said last week it was cutting about 650 jobs in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and North Dakota as oilfield activity slowed. Most of the affected Halliburton employees were offered a chance to relocate to areas with stronger anticipated activity.

Police response to 'transphobic' stickers branded 'extraordinary'

A police force has been accused of “incredible irresponsibility” for treating the display of transphobic stickers around Oxford as a “serious crime”. Some of the stickers, which have been dotted around the city centre, state: “Woman: noun. Adult human female” and “Women don’t have penises”. Thames Valley Police has announced that those responsible could be charged with a public order offence and has appealed for witnesses. It said: “Officers are investigating a large number of offensive stickers that have been placed across Oxford city centre containing transphobic comments. "It is believed they started appearing in March within the High Street, Catte Street and Parks Road area.” PC Rebecca Nightingale, the investigating officer, added: "Behaviour like this is not acceptable and we take incidents of this nature very seriously.” The stickers feature graphic images  Credit: Oxford Pride/SWNS Michael Biggs, Associate Professor in Sociology at the University of Oxford, suggested that the police had overreacted. “This is literally the Oxford English definition of what a woman is,” he said. “I can’t believe that needs any stance at all. To say that a dictionary definition is a terrible hate crime is extraordinary. The police is being incredibly irresponsible." Hundreds, or even thousands, of the stickers have been put up around Oxford since March, the police have said. Transgender supporters have been removing the labels and replacing them with pro-trans messages. They contain messages such as: “Non-binary finery” and “trans women are women.” Mr Biggs said: “If putting up stickers is a crime then it should apply to both sides. “The police are taking one side in what is quite a heated political debate and that’s not their job.” Thames Valley Police did not reveal the content of the stickers when it issued a statement appealing for witnesses. It reportedly said that the content and appearance of the stickers was “not suitable for sharing.”  Zayna Ratty, the chair of Oxford Pride, said the stickers were “inducing hate crime”. She told the Oxford Mail: "I'm not sure why this is being categorised as a public order offence instead of a hate crime.  "If it was a racist sticker then I think it would be classified as a hate crime. Police are investigating  Credit: Tristan Potter/SWNS "Why aren't trans and nonbinary people being afforded the same protection in law as other people on this occasion? Everyone should be treated the same." She added: "As a society we should not condone or excuse what seems to be a negative intent behind these actions." Others responded to the police response with disbelief. One resident wrote on Twitter: “You don’t see many officers in our area because they are busy dealing with this tosh.” Another wrote: Oh no crime wave of stickers stating biological fact , sending prayers to the people of Oxford at this difficult time.” And one person commented: “Oh dear. The police in Oxford don't have much to do, do they?” Latest figures suggest there were more than 1,000 violent and sexual offence crimes in Oxford in the 12 months to August, an increase of almost 20 per cent on the previous year. Other crimes including anti-social behaviour, theft and criminal damage had also risen. The maximum sentence for threatening behaviour, the most common public order offence, is six months plus a fine. A hate crime, including hate speech, could attract a sentence of six months to three years' imprisonment, or a fine.

Police officer dies after being shot in parking garage

A Maryland police officer died Monday after he was found with a gunshot wound in a parking garage that was part of his regular patrol, authorities said. Acting Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones told news reporters that the death of 38-year-old officer Thomas J. Bomba is being treated as a homicide. Bomba was on patrol around 9 a.m. when he reported that he encountered "disorderly subjects" at a parking garage in downtown Silver Spring, a suburb that borders the northern tip of Washington.

Suit challenges speech rules at Mississippi abortion clinic

Abortion opponents in Mississippi have filed a lawsuit challenging a local ordinance that will restrict noise levels and require protesters to remain a certain distance from the entrance of health care facilities. Owners of nearby shops and restaurants have complained about commotion outside Mississippi's only abortion clinic, Jackson Women's Health Organization. Jackson City Council members adopted the ordinance Oct. 1, and it is scheduled to take effect Oct. 31.

Industrial earnings take center stage in third quarter with trade, economy in focus

Profit reports from big manufacturers and other industrial firms arriving this week will provide investors with a crucial corporate gauge of the U.S. economy's health and the fallout from trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Third-quarter industrial sector earnings follow a closely watched survey earlier this month that showed U.S. manufacturing activity tumbled to a more than 10-year low in September. Industrial companies also are among those most at risk from the lingering trade dispute between the United States and China.

Police officer who fatally shot woman in her home resigned before he could be fired

The police officer who fatally shot a Fort Worth, Texas, woman in her home while answering a call for a welfare check abruptly resigned on Monday just before he was about to be fired for allegedly violating multiple department policies, the police chief said. "I certainly have not been able to make sense of why she had to lose her life," Fort Worth Police Chief Ed Kraus said at a news conference in reference to the early Saturday morning killing of Atatiana "Tay" Jefferson. Kraus identified the officer who shot Jefferson, 28, as Aaron Dean, who joined the police force in April 2018.

Interstellar interloper is a comet resembling those in our solar system

The second interstellar object ever spotted passing through the solar system is a comet that appears quite like those formed in our neighborhood of the cosmos, providing fresh evidence that other planetary systems may be very similar to our own. First detected in August by an amateur astronomer named Gennady Borisov, it is called 2I/Borisov. The only previous interstellar visitor discovered in our solar system was a cigar-shaped rocky object called 'Oumuamua found in 2017.

Gigi Gorgeous announces genderless makeup collection

Gigi Gorgeous is coming out with a makeup line. The influencer and activist joined YouTube back in 2011 as Gregory Gorgeous, and followers watched as she transitioned from Gregory to Gigi in a series of candid videos. Gorgeous has amassed a huge following since 2011, with more than 2.9 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 2.2 million followers on Instagram.

The Latest: Poland's ruling party has votes to govern again

Final official returns from Poland's parliamentary election confirm the conservative Law and Justice party has won a narrow majority in the lower house that will allow it to govern for a second four-year term. The state electoral commission said Monday Law and Justice won 43.59% of Sunday's vote, which translates into 235 of the 460 seats in the Sejm. It currently holds 240 seats following a migration of lawmakers to Law and Justice.

Columbus statues vandalized on US holiday named for him

Several Christopher Columbus statues were vandalized with red paint and messages against the 15th century Italian navigator Monday when the U.S. holiday named for one of the first Europeans to reach the Americas was being celebrated. A statue in Providence, Rhode Island, was splashed from head to toe Monday with red paint, and a sign reading "Stop celebrating genocide" was leaned against the pedestal. The statue has been the target of vandals on Columbus Day in the past.

U.S. House panel 'strongly' urges Uber, Lyft to take part in hearing

The chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee "strongly urged" Uber Technologies Inc and Lyft Inc to participate in a hearing set for Wednesday on issues facing the ride hailing industry. In letters to the companies' chief executives, Representative Peter DeFazio said both companies had declined to participate at the hearing.

Car stolen with 6-year-old boy sitting in backseat

Six-year-old Ronald Mowatt was sitting in the back of a white Acura MDX in Brooklyn when a thief drove away with it at around 1 p.m., according to police. Investigators said he was located in Brooklyn about three hours later, but they did not offer any additional details. "UPDATE: Six-year-old Ronald Mowatt has been found in #Brooklyn and is safe," NYPD Chief Terence Monahan tweeted Monday afternoon.

Rihanna explains why she didn't mind being asked about pregnancy

While she was flustered by the question initially, the singer now says she didn't mind being asked about this very personal subject. Speaking to Extra at the party for the launch of her new photo book, Rihanna said, "A lot of women get very defensive.

Military dad meeting 6-month-old son for the first time captured in sweet photos

James Chevalier was greeted last month by his wife Mary and sons Caspian, 6 months and Gage, 4. The family met at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia, where Brittany Watson of Brittany Leigh Photography, snapped the pictures. Mary Chevalier told "Good Morning America" that Gage didn't know his father would be returning home that day.

Dangerous search on for 1 missing after hotel collapse

Rescue workers and search dogs moved gingerly through a dangerously unstable New Orleans hotel Monday in a risky search for the only person still missing after the structure partially collapsed . Fire Chief Tim McConnell told reporters that engineers were in the building to determine how best to stabilize it. Mayor LaToya Cantrell said utilities were cut off to nine major businesses in the area and 37 families have been put up at hotels.

Police desperate for information on missing 3-year-old girl, 2 persons of interest in custody

Authorities in Alabama say they have no information on the whereabouts of a missing 3-year-old girl who was believed to have been abducted while attending a birthday party this weekend. Two persons of interest are being questioned as the search for Kamille "Cupcake" McKinney intensifies, Birmingham Police Chief Patrick Smith said Monday. Kamille was playing with other children at an outdoor birthday party in the Avondale neighborhood of Birmingham on Saturday night when she vanished, authorities said.

The Latest: 1 victim in hotel collapse identified

The coroner's office in New Orleans has identified one of two workers known to have died when a hotel under construction partially collapsed. New Orleans news outlets report his wife and family had kept a vigil at the site in downtown New Orleans until the body was removed. Efforts to retrieve another body and find the missing worker continued Monday in the dangerously unstable building at the edge of the French Quarter.

Pacific Northwest tribes: Remove Columbia River dams

Two prominent Pacific Northwest tribes said Monday the U.S. government needs to remove three major hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River to save migrating salmon and starving orcas and restore traditional fishing sites that were guaranteed to the tribes in a treaty more than 150 years ago. The Yakama Nation and the Lummi Nation made the demand on Indigenous People's Day, a designation that's part of a trend to move away from a day honoring Christopher Columbus. Tribal leaders said at a news conference along the Columbia River that the Treaty of 1855, in which 14 tribes and bands ceded 11.5 million acres to the United States, was based on the inaccurate belief that the U.S. had a right to take the land because of a Christian mandate.

Fort Worth policeman who killed woman through window of her own home resigns

A Texan policeman who shot and killed a black woman through the window as she was playing video games with her nephew resigned on Monday, and may face criminal charges. Atatiana Jefferson, 28, was at her house in Fort Worth in the early hours of Saturday when a neighbour noticed the lights on and a door open. He called the police for a “welfare check”, to make sure the family was unharmed. When the two officers arrived at the property, Miss Jefferson, a medical graduate from Xavier University in New Orleans, who was working in pharmaceutical equipment sales, was in her bedroom. Fort Worth police confirmed that Aaron Dean, 35, did not announce he was with the police, and nor did the pair park their patrol cars in front of the house. The force is investigating why. Mr Dean and his colleague walked to the side of the house, opened the gate, and walked into the backyard, shining a torch around the property. He saw someone through a house window, inside the home, and yelled: “Put your hands up. Show me your hands!” The officer then shot through the window. Officials said Mr Dean, who is white, “perceived a threat.” Lee Merritt, a civil rights lawyer, said Miss Jefferson’s death is another example of excessive use of police force in Fort Worth. Since June, Fort Worth officers have shot seven people, six of them fatally. Ed Kraus, chief of Fort Worth police, said that Mr Dean resigned before he was fired. He said he expects to have an update on possible charges on Tuesday. Betsy Price, mayor of Fort Worth, said on Monday that Miss Jefferson’s killing was entirely unjustifiable. "There's nothing that can justify what happened on Saturday morning. Nothing," she said. She also said that Fort Worth police should not have released an image of a firearm found inside Miss Jefferson's home. "The gun was irrelevant," she said. “Atatiana was an amazing, smart woman who was unjustly taken from her family. I cannot imagine anything worse and I am so sorry.” The shooting took place days after a Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting a black man that she mistook as an intruder inside of his apartment, which she mistakenly entered.

Prince William and Kate arrive in Pakistan for royal trip that will pay homage to late Princess Diana

Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, made a glamorous entrance in Pakistan Monday as they arrived for the start of their five-day official royal tour. The outfit was designed by Catherine Walker, one of the royal family's go-to designers who was also a favorite of Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana.

The Latest: Columbus statue defaced in Southern California

A statue of Christopher Columbus in a Southern California park was found to be vandalized with red paint on the federal holiday honoring the 15th century Italian navigator. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports a police officer discovered the damage Monday at Discovery Park in the city of Chula Vista. Columbus statues were also vandalized in San Francisco and Rhode Island.

Lay's is releasing a grilled cheese and tomato soup flavor

Lay's is releasing a brand new flavor just in time for fall: grilled cheese and tomato soup. Also launching on Oct. 21, Lay's "Gotta Have Lay’s" campaign. For over a month, Lay's will be awarding five winners a day with a chance to win free Lay's for an entire year.

13-year police veteran and father of 2 shot dead near Maryland parking garage

A Maryland police officer and father of two was shot and killed while responding to a call Monday morning in Maryland, sparking a massive search for an unknown suspect. The officer, Thomas Bomba, was shot while responding to a disorderly subject in a parking garage shortly before 9 a.m., police said.

Officer who shot naked man found not guilty of murder

A former Georgia police officer who fatally shot an unarmed, naked man was found not guilty of murder on Monday, but was convicted of aggravated assault and other charges that could potentially send him to prison for more than 30 years. Olsen, now 57, was a DeKalb County police officer in March 2015 when he responded to a call of a naked man behaving erratically outside an Atlanta-area apartment complex. Shortly after arriving, he fatally shot 26-year-old Anthony Hill, an Air Force veteran who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Parents of crash victim urge diplomat's wife to return to UK

The parents of a motorcyclist killed in a traffic crash with an American diplomat's wife took their case directly to U.S. audiences Monday, holding a New York news conference at which they urged the woman to return to Britain. The parents of Harry Dunn have reached out to U.S. politicians and plan to be in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday in their quest to get the woman back in the U.K. "to present herself to police," family spokesman Radd Seiger said. Charlotte Charles, Dunn's mother, tearfully urged the diplomat's wife, Anne Sacoolas, to "do the right thing" and to "face us as a broken family," along with the U.K. legal system.

Executed man's daughter asks court to order DNA testing

A woman whose father was executed for murder in Tennessee 13 years ago asked a judge on Monday to order the testing of DNA evidence in the case. The hearing in Memphis focused largely on whether April Alley can legally bring a petition for DNA testing on behalf of her father's estate. Sedley Alley was convicted of the 1985 murder of 19-year-old Marine Lance Cpl.

Texas prison guard acquitted in death of inmate

A jury has acquitted a former Texas prison guard who slammed a handcuffed inmate to the ground so hard that the man's liver ruptured and he died. The Houston Chronicle reports that Lou Joffrion was acquitted last month on aggravated assault charges in the 2017 death of David Witt, who had mental health issues. Authorities say Joffrion, who was a sergeant at the Darrington Unit in Brazoria County south of Houston, picked up the 128-pound Witt and slammed him to the ground after Witt refused orders to return to his cell from a common area.

Man walked 350 miles to have sex with teenage girl, says FBI

A 32-year-old man has been accused of embarking on a 350-mile walk in order to have sex with a teenage girl, only to discover he was the target of a police sting.Authorities have said Tommy Lee Jenkins, of Whitestown, Indiana, believed he was speaking via instant messages with a 14-year-old girl called Kylee, and hatched a plan to meet her.