Weather Gang: Why the snow forecast for New York City was so bad, and what should be done

Instead of presenting the forecast as a range of possibilities, many outlets simply presented the worst-case scenario.

Two weeks after Zuckerberg said ‘je suis Charlie,’ Facebook begins censoring images of prophet Muhammad

Only two weeks after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg released a strongly worded #JeSuisCharlie statement on the importance of free speech, Facebook has agreed to censor images of the prophet Muhammad in Turkey — including the very type of image that precipitated the Charlie Hebdo attack.Read full article >>

In hindsight, Bill Cosby’s old books on love, sex and family are incredibly creepy

“Sex at my age has become exhausting,” Bill Cosby lamented in 1987, upon turning 50. This was one year after he allegedly assaulted 18-year-old Barbara Bowman in a Reno hotel room, and two decades into what appears to be a hidden life now broken wide open with accusations of drugging, rape and harassment from dozens of women.Read full article >>

Romney, ahead of 2016 run, now calls Utah home, talks openly about Mormon influence

HOLLADAY, Utah — After losing two straight presidential races, Mitt Romney packed up his home in Massachusetts and journeyed west to Utah, building a mansion here in the foothills of the Wasatch Range that has served as his sanctuary from defeat.Read full article >>

Obama lays out sweeping vision for US-India relations, emphasizes human rights

NEW DELHI — President Obama laid out a sweeping vision for the future of U.S.-India relations here Tuesday, pushing India on human rights issues while asserting that the relationship between the two countries could become one of the “defining partnerships” of the 21st Century. Read full article >>

After forging her path from N.C. to Brooklyn, Lynch is poised to become attorney general

DURHAM, N.C. — The Rev. Lorenzo Lynch was in his living room here, surrounded by photographs of his daughter, Loretta, when he first heard the news that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. was stepping down and she was on the short list of candidates to replace him.Read full article >>

Town of Vienna says water main break is ?act of God,? won?t pay for damage to family?s home

VIENNA, Va. (WJLA) – A Virginia woman has found herself in a battle with the Town of Vienna after a water main break caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage to her home. A clean-up crew has been busy for days fixing the expensive mess that homeowner Donna Brause says she shouldn’t have to pay for. “It’s not our fault,” said Brause. “It wasn’t our pipes. It’s nothing that we had done wrong. There was nothing faulty in the way we maintained the home.” Last Thursday, following a water main break in her suburban neighborhood, Brause’s basement filled with about a foot a muddy soup. For the next three days, she and her family lived with no running water and no heat. t wasn’t until she paid $7,000 for a new water heater and furnace that those utilities get restored. The Town of Vienna is paying for the initial clean-up. But the municipality won’t cover the full cost of the restoration, which—after carpet, furniture, drywall, laptops and appliances are replaced—is estimated to cost $30,000. And Brause’s homeowners insurance won’t cover it, saying it was the water company’s fault. “I want them to fix everything the way it was,” said Brause. “I don’t have the money to pay for this, this kind of money.” “Anytime that I hear that this happens, I feel bad about that,” said Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton. He told 7 On Your Side that water main breaks are considered an “act of God,” meaning the township is not legally responsible for the damage. “We have protocols that we go through that fall in line with the rest of the state of Virginia and we try to follow those as best we can,” stated Payton. Payton went on to say that if you live in an area that has an aging infrastructure, you should consider hazard insurance that does cover water main breaks. _______ Follow 7 On Your Side Investigative Reporter Chris Papst on Twitter: @ChrisPapst.

Teen charged with shooting 2 friends, then self, after argument in Clinton, Md.

Man accidentally shot by D.C. police while getting haircut didn?t receive apology

WASHINGTON (WJLA) – A man accidentally shot by D.C. police three weeks ago—the day before a job interview—says he is in nearly constant pain and can’t sleep longer than three hours at a time. He also says he has heard nothing from police, not even an apology. “I jumped out the chair, I tried to run, but my leg locked up on me and I fell on the ground,” said 22-year-old James Kearse, recalling the moment he got shot while getting his hair cut at a barber shop on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Police shot at a man suspected of armed robbery who dropped a pellet gun. They missed and the stray bullet struck Kearse in his right hip. The bullet remains lodged in his pelvis. “Waves of pain, waves of pain,” he said. The barbers at Next Level Cuts were furious. “It was reckless on the police behalf,” said barber Keith Pruden. “Children visit this shop all the time to get their hair cut.” Kearse’s problem with the police is that he has heard nothing from them since the accidental shooting. “Nothin’, nothin’ at all,” he said. “They didn’t call, they didn’t send a card, they didn’t do nothin’. At all.” Kearse said he later heard that the officer who shot him rendered aid until the ambulance arrived. He said another officer questioned him briefly at the hospital, but did not apologize. “I thought I’d [have] heard from them the same day or the day after, that week—somethin’,” Kearse said. Kearse was getting his hair cut for a job interview that’s now gone. “I think it took about two months to get that interview and when I got it, this happened,” he said. Now, Kearse spends a lot of time with his 11-year-old dog, Midnight. “I just wish it ain’t happen,” he said. ABC 7 News sought reaction from Metropolitan Police. Chief Cathy Lanier said, “[Kearse] is absolutely right. I should have called,” adding that she would soon call him to apologize.

Montgomery County to consider ban on sales of pets from puppy mills, breeders

Day 2 of airport delays for D.C. as blizzards wallops East coast

WASHINGTON (AP) - Travelers trying to fly in or out of the Washington-Baltimore region are in for another headache Tuesday because of winter weather. The flight tracking service FlightAware shows that more than 220 flights in and out of Reagan National Airport have been canceled. At Baltimore's airport, about 90 flights in and out were canceled. And at Dulles International Airport, more than 70 flights were canceled. Across the Northeast corridor, thousands of flights were canceled because of a nor'easter that began moving in Monday morning and continued Tuesday. Washington, D.C. and Baltimore got about an inch of snow. Washington suburbs saw more significant accumulations, with Germantown, Maryland and Fairfax, Virginia recording more than 4 inches. Some parts of the Northeast could see up to 3 feet of snow. As of 8:05 a.m. Tuesday, the airport delay and cancellation numbers are: Reagan National (DCA) # (%) Departures cancelled 123 (28%) Departures delayed 6 (1%) Arrivals canceled 107 (24%) Arrivals delayed 4 ( Washington Dulles Intl (IAD) # (%) Departures cancelled 32 (10%) Departures delayed 5 (1%) Arrivals canceled 39 (12%) Arrivals delayed 9 (2%) Baltimore/Washington Intl (BWI) # (%) Departures cancelled 41 (15%) Departures delayed 10 (3%) Arrivals canceled 50 (18%) Arrivals delayed 4 (1%)

Dream home nightmare: Veteran Va. couple says construction company duped them out of hundreds of thousands

CULPEPER, Va. (WJLA) – Two wounded warriors’ dream of a serene home in which they could build their lives as a married couple has instead become the thing of nightmares. Now, they may be out hundreds of thousands of dollars, with nothing but rotting wood to show for it. Shannon Brand and Jon Patterson say they took out a $415,000 loan last June to purchase land outside Culpeper and buy materials to build a log home on that land. They call it their forever home, but the company they contracted to build their dream house has done nothing, they say, but break their hearts. For two American soldiers who have experienced the hell of war in Afghanistan, the secluded plot of land outside Culpeper was supposed to be their slice of heaven. “We both suffer from PTSD, so peace is very important to us,” Brand said. “All we wanted to do is to retire from the military and live the easy life down here in the woods,” Patterson said. In fact, Patterson and Brand planned to hold their wedding there. “It was supposed to be our dream home and it has turned into a nightmare,” Brand said. A nightmare, because the dream log home they contracted to be built by Mongoose Construction Company of Earlysville sits in piles and pieces on their 12-acre plot of land. About $130,000 worth of wooden beams, floor boards and logs have been rotting out in the elements since September. “They told us that it was supposed to be done before Christmas, and then it got pushed back to after New Year’s, and then it got pushed back even farther,” Patterson said. Brand and Patterson say Mongoose has given them excuse after excuse. The only work they say has been done is a $14,000 driveway. The couple contacted 7 On Your Side. A trip to the Culpeper County Department of Buildings was revealing. “The county said, ‘These people never applied for a permit with us,’” Brand said. 7 On Your Side contacted Mongoose and spoke with COO Kimberly Mowbray, who said the company has submitted building plans and has all the proper licensing to build, but that the county has held things up. But that’s because the county says Mongoose doesn’t have a license to build homes in the Commonwealth of Virginia; it’s just a home remodeling company. “All we wanted was our home built,” Patterson said. So now, the couple is out $130,000 for the logs, they are paying on their $400,000 construction loan, and their plans for a dream wedding at their dream house are no more. “This is supposed to be grass and beautiful and a beautiful tent,” Brand said, crying. “Everything is supposed to be perfect. And it’s not gonna be. It’s not gonna be.” 7 On Your Side asked Mowbray directly how it is she claims her company has a license to build in Virginia, but the state and Culpeper County say it doesn’t. She did not answer the question. 7 On Your side reached out repeatedly to Mowbray and her mother, who owns the company, and they have not responded. Patterson and Brand say they are now getting a lawyer.

Utah parents who killed selves, children feared apocalypse

SPRINGVILLE, Utah (AP) - A Utah couple and their three children who were found dead in their home last fall overdosed on drugs after the parents told friends and family they were worried about the apocalypse, authorities said Tuesday. Police also found old letters written by the mother to a ...

Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche issue recalls for fuel leaks

DETROIT (AP) - Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche are recalling more than 93,500 cars and SUVs worldwide to fix fuel leak problems. The recalls cover the Audi A6 and Volkswagen Touareg hybrid from the 2012 model year, the Audi A7 from 2012 and 2013, and the Audi Q7, S4 and S5 ...

Lobbyists had email look at Kansas governor's budget plans

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A newspaper is reporting that a top aide to Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback used a private email account to give two lobbyists a preview of budget proposals weeks before they were outlined for legislators. The Wichita Eagle reported Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1zsuejP ) that it obtained a copy ...

Gunmen storm Libya hotel, killing American, 9 others

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) - In the latest sign of Libya's descent into chaos, gunmen stormed a luxury hotel used by diplomats and businessmen in the capital on Tuesday, killing 10 people, including an American, a French citizen and three people from Eastern Europe. Two attackers were killed following an hourslong ...

Girl, 14, fatally shot while babysitting in Detroit home

DETROIT (AP) - A 14-year-old girl has been shot and killed while babysitting at least two younger children at an eastside Detroit home. Police say the shooting occurred about 5 p.m. Tuesday and no adults were in the home at the time. Sgt. Michael Woody says it's not immediately clear ...

Santa Clarita man charged with molesting, killing newborn

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - A Los Angeles-area man has been charged with molesting and killing his newborn daughter. Thirty-year-old Matthew Warner was charged Tuesday with murder, assault on a child causing death, sexual assault of a child, torture and oral copulation or sexual penetration. City News Service says the ...

Police: Man hid cocaine inside prosthetic leg

Aspiring Md. musician takes $5 dares online to help pursue his dream

Montgomery County to consider ban on sales of cats, dogs from breeders

Snow moves out, colder temps on the way

Couple Surprised by One-In-A-Million Pregnancy

A couple from Indiana is celebrating what many are calling a one-in-a-million pregnancy. Matt and Ashley Alexander went to their doctor for a regular check-up, but what they found was a huge surprise for everyone!

What you need to know about Northeast snowstorm

Drummer shares punk rock memories of The Ramones

WASHINGTON — Rock bands don’t come any more influential than The Ramones, the edgy punk rockers from Queens, N.Y., who launched a blitzkrieg on the music industry from 1974 to 1996. Now you can revel in behind-the-scenes stories in the new book ...

Mother makes emotional appeal to Japanese leader to save son

This still image taken from a video posted on YouTube by jihadists on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, shows a still photo of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto holding what appears to be a photo of Jordanian pilot 1st Lt. Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh. Both are being held ...

Rose’s shot lifts Bulls over Warriors 113-111 in overtime

Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose (1) shoots over Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Derrick Rose hit a step ...

Alibaba spinoff likely to increase scrutiny on Yahoo CEO

In this Nov. 5, 2014 photo, a person walks in front of a Yahoo sign at the company's headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo reports quarterly financial results on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo CEO ...

Balanced Bucks beat Heat for 3rd time this season, 109-102

Milwaukee Bucks center John Henson (31) dunks against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) MIAMI (AP) — Brandon Knight had 17 points and six assists and the Milwaukee Bucks ...

Amber Alert issued in Maryland

WASHINGTON — An Amber Alert has been issued for a child in Maryland. Drew Marie Denny is 5 months old and was last seen wearing pajamas and had brown eyes and black curly hair. Police say she was taken by force from her mother’s home by her father in ...

White House Decides Not To Tax College Saving Plans

Prediction Machine Picks Seahawks Over Patriots In Super Bowl XLIX

O’Malley Makes 2 Hires to His PAC

Smithsonian Working to Finalize Deal for New London Site

Perry Fewell Hired as Redskins Defensive Backs Coach

Bryce Harper Crushes Baseball in Slow-Mo, Probably Over Them Mountains (Video)