Betty White Forever: New stamp will honor the much-beloved 'Golden Girls' actor
The United States Postal Service might have found a way to unite a nation bitterly divided after this month's election: It's releasing a Betty White stamp. The beloved actor known for roles in "The Golden Girls," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Boston Legal," and others will be on a 2025 Forever stamp. White died in late December 2021, less than three weeks before her 100th birthday. The Postal Service called White "an icon of American television" and said she "shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades." The stamp will depict a smiling White based on a 2010 photograph by celebrity photographer Kwaku Alston.
McDonald's is investing $100 million to bring customers back after E. coli outbreak
McDonald's is investing $100 million to bring customers back to stores after an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions on the fast-food giant's Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The investments include $65 million that will go directly to the hardest-hit franchises. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that slivered onions on the Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the outbreak. Colorado reported at least 30 cases; Montana reported 19; Nebraska, 13; and New Mexico, 10. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 12 and Oct. 21. At least 104 people got sick and 34 were hospitalized.
Tropical Storm Sara drenches Honduras' northern coast with flash flooding and mudslides in forecast
SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras (AP) -- Tropical Storm Sara is drenching Honduras' northern coast, swelling rivers as it stalls over the Central American nation. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center on Saturday said there could be life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides through the weekend. Sustained rain fell overnight and continued into the morning in the city of San Pedro Sula, where there are no immediate signs of serious flooding, but people watched nervously as the conditions brought back memories of the disastrous November 2020 hurricane season. The Hurricane Center expects the storm will move near the Bay Islands of Honduras on Saturday before approaching Belize.
Olav Thon, billionaire Norwegian real estate developer, dead at 101
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Olav Thon, a billionaire entrepreneur recognizable for his bright red cap who went from selling leather and fox hides in his youth to build one of Norway's biggest real estate empires, has died. The news was announced by his company. He was 101. Thon eventually moved from selling leather into real estate and purchased his first apartment building in 1950. From there, he built a group that today counts over 80 shopping centers in Norway and neighboring Sweden. It also owns some 90 hotels in those two countries plus Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Bullet strikes Southwest Airlines plane without injuries at Dallas airport
DALLAS (AP) -- A bullet has struck the body of a Southwest Airlines airplane preparing for departure from a Dallas airport, forcing the cancellation of the evening flight. The airline says no injuries were reported and law enforcement was contacted after the bullet struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck around 8:30 p.m. Friday. The crew of Flight 2494 was preparing the plane for departure from Dallas Love Field Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration says the Boeing 737-800 aircraft was "struck by gunfire near the cockpit" while taxiing before the flight to Indianapolis International Airport. The airline says it provided another flight for passengers and the aircraft was removed from service. The airport says the runway was temporarily closed.
Palm Springs officials approve $5.9M to pay Black and Latino families displaced from neighborhood
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) -- The Palm Springs City Council has approved a $5.9 million deal to pay Black and Latino families who were displaced from a neighborhood in the 1960s. The unanimous vote Thursday settles a tort claim filed by the families in 2022 over the displacement. They previously sought $2.3 billion from the city. The city council has also approved $21 million in funding that will largely go to housing programs and the creation of a monument commemorating the history of the neighborhood known as Section 14. Priority for the programs will be given to former residents who were displaced from the neighborhood and their descendants.
What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users?
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Disgruntled X users are once again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk. Bluesky said in mid-November that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and talk to others online.
Winston Churchill portrait returns to Ottawa after international art caper
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- A stolen portrait of Winston Churchill that was swapped with a forgery during the pandemic has returned to its rightful place. Two Ottawa police detectives traveled to Rome to retrieve it. Police say "The Roaring Lion" was stolen from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa sometime between Christmas Day 2021 and Jan. 6, 2022. It was replaced with a forgery. The swap was only uncovered months later in August when a hotel worker noticed the frame wasn't hung properly and looked different than the others. Hotel general manager Genevieve Dumas unveiled the portrait in a ceremony Friday.
Missouri officers accused of pulling over women, searching phones for nude pictures
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Two Missouri police officers were indicted separately this week and accused of similar crimes -- pulling over women and searching their phones to find nude photos. The indictments of former Missouri State Highway Patrol officer David McKnight on Tuesday and former Florissant, Missouri, officer Julian Alcala on Wednesday were unrelated, but the indictments spelled out similar allegations. Both men face federal charges accusing them of depriving the rights of several women, and destroying evidence. McKnight is accused of victimizing nine women over a period of nearly a year. Alcala is accused of crimes involving 20 women during a roughly three-month period early this year.
TV funnyman Conan O'Brien is tapped to host next Oscars
NEW YORK (AP) -- A year after turning to comedian Jimmy Kimmel to host their big show, the Academy Awards will pivot to another familiar TV funnyman -- Conan O'Brien. It will be his first time as Oscar host, but he's hosted other high-profile awards shows, like the Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2006 and the White House Correspondents' dinner in 1995 and 2013. The Oscars will air live on ABC on March 2. O'Brien is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" and "Conan."