IF iDir.com

Senior negotiators in the U.S. Congress on Thursday reached a tentative deal with the White House on a series of bills to fund federal agencies through Sept. 30, 2020, which would avert partial government shutdowns next week. A person familiar with the negotiations said that votes by the full House of Representatives on a series of bills could come as soon as Tuesday as Congress races to complete this work before a Dec. 20 deadline when existing money expires. While some technical issues still have to be resolved, the source said that major disagreements between Democrats and Republicans have been worked out.

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:16:29 -0500

An 18-year-old college student was stabbed to death in New York City, police said. Tessa Rane Majors, a Barnard College student, was found unconscious with multiple stab wounds near Morningside Park in Upper Manhattan Wednesday evening, police said. The 18-year-old was walking through the park, right by the campuses of Barnard and Columbia University, when she was engaged by an unknown number of suspects, NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison told reporters at a news conference.

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:14:00 -0500

For the first time in years, leaders from across the European Union posed together for a “family photo” at Thursday’s EU summit. The group photo ritual, once routine at the leaders’ quarterly summits in Brussels, hasn't taken place since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the bloc. Former EU Council President Donald Tusk wanted the visiting dignitaries to get straight to business instead.

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:12:30 -0500

A child somehow got hold of a gun and shot his mother Thursday afternoon around 1:20 p.m., Fort Lauderdale police say.

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:10:55 -0500

A lawyer for one of the women who brought lawsuits accusing Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct said Thursday that a proposed $25 million settlement for most of the Hollywood producer's alleged victims was unfair and designed to pressure her into accepting it. Thomas Giuffra, who represents actress Alexandra Canosa, said after a hearing in Manhattan federal court that the accord set aside just $500,000 for his client, and that the money could be used to pay for Weinstein's legal defense if she did not accept it. "Either you take the money or we're going to give the guns to the man who raped you," Giuffra said.

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:09:54 -0500