TOP HEADLINES provided by UPI©

• Trump admin can't block funding for Planned Parenthood program, judge rules
  A federal judge blocked a Trump administration directive to block funding to a Planned Parenthood program to prevent teen pregnancy in Western states.
• 45 indicted in fentanyl trafficking organization
  The Department of Justice announced 45 people were indicted in connection with a fentanyl trafficking ring based in Massachusetts.
• Facebook revenue up 50 percent in first-quarter earnings
  Facebook's first-quarter earnings results showed a 50 percent increase in revenue over last year despite recent controversies over the company's practices.
• Texas executes man for death of 5-year-old, her grandmother
  Texas carried out its fifth lethal injection of the year, executing Erick Davila for the shooting death of a 5-year-old girl and her grandmother in 2008.
• Document outlines allegations against Ronny Jackson
  Democratic Senate committee members released allegations against President Donald Trump's nominee to head the Veterans Affairs Department, Ronny Jackson.
• Michael Cohen to plead 5th in Stormy Daniels case
  Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, plans to assert his Fifth Amendment rights in a federal case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels.
• Dallas police officer dies, 2 others critical after shooting
  One of two Dallas police officers critically injured in a shooting at a Home Depot Tuesday died a day later, authorities confirmed.
• Maine police launch manhunt after deputy killed, cruiser stolen
  Authorities launched a nationwide manhunt Wednesday for a man suspected of killing a sheriff's deputy in Maine before stealing his police cruiser and fleeing.
• Former President George H.W. Bush moved out of ICU
  Doctors at a Houston hospital moved former President George H.W. Bush out of intensive care, but he remains at the facility for treatment for a blood infection.
• Police arrest suspected Golden State Killer
  Officials in California said they arrested the so-called Golden State Killer more than 40 years after a rape and killing spree throughout the state.
• Delaware Senate passes gun bill named for Beau Biden
  Delaware's upper house passed gun control legislation allowing police to seize weapons from those deemed a danger to themselves or others.
• New Jersey mayor orders city restrooms to be gender-neutral
  A New Jersey mayor introduced a gender-neutral restroom bill Wednesday -- that, if successful, would make his city the first in the state to pass such a law.
• Watch: Sarah Sanders holds White House news briefing
  White House press secretary Sarah Sanders is scheduled to give an on-camera press briefing Wednesday.
• Another Illinois resident dies from synthetic marijuana use
  Another person has died from exposure to synthetic marijuana -- the fourth in just the last few weeks, the Illinois department of Public Health said.
• Macron urges Congress on climate change: 'There is no Planet B'
  French President Emmanuel Macron struck a progressive tone in his speech Wednesday to a joint session of Congress, including a call to action on climate change.
• Supreme Court appears to favor Trump's travel ban
  The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared to back the idea that President Donald Trump can block U.S. entry for migrants of several largely Muslim countries.
• Google Gmail gets new look, disappearing messages, 'nudging'
  Google unveiled major changes Wednesday to its email platform Gmail, which is the world's most popular service.
• Comcast offers $31 billion for Sky in bidding war with Fox
  Comcast finalized its bid for European broadcaster Sky on Wednesday, offering $17.45 per share which tops the offer from Rupert Murdoch's Fox at $15 per share.
• Trump denies nearly 200 clemency applications
  President Donald Trump has denied clemency for nearly 200 people who'd applied for pardons and commutations through the U.S. Justice Department.
• NRA sets fundraising record, mostly from small donors
  The National Rifle Association took in its biggest monthly haul of political donations in more than 20 years, with most of it coming from small donors.
• U.S. sailor left stolen grenades on side of road: Navy
  A U.S. Navy sailor was charged Tuesday for stealing 20 hand grenades from the USS Pinckney in San Diego.
• Republican Debbie Lesko wins Arizona House race
  Republican Debbie Lesko defeated Democrat Hiral Tipirneni in a special election for an open congressional seat in Arizona Tuesday night.
• Federal judge orders government to accept DACA applications
  A federal judge ruled late Tuesday the U.S. government must continue accepting applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
• Trump holds first state dinner with France's Macron
  President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted their first state dinner Tuesday, hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.
• 'Smallville' actress accused of sex trafficking freed on $5M bail
  A federal judge in Brooklyn set actress Allison Mack's bail at $5 million Tuesday as she faces charges for sex trafficking for an alleged cult leader.

CBS©

• Ex-cop ID'd as suspected "Golden State Killer," officials say
  Authorities say elusive serial predator killed 12 and committed 45 rapes in California in the 1970s and 1980s
• Dog named after "Rocky" for fighting spirit after being left in park to die
  "The dog was skin and bones, unable to lift his head," the Providence Animal Center said in a Facebook post
• 2 teens critically wounded in stabbing at train station, police say
  One victim was stabbed in the neck, stomach and arm and the other was stabbed in the chest and stomach
• Ford to stop selling all but two car models
  Ford will no longer sell the Fusion, Taurus, CMax hybrid compact and Fiesta subcompact in the U.S., Canada and Mexico
• More people sick after eating tainted romaine lettuce, CDC says
  Health officials say romaine lettuce in stores and restaurants now is likely from California and not Yuma, Arizona, where the tainted lettuce originated
• Raffle money raised for North Carolina woman's kidney transplant stolen, cops say
  Thieves stole all the money raised by a North Carolina woman desperate to help ease the cost of a kidney transplant for her daughter-in-law, local police said Tuesday. Amy Culter, reporter for CBS affiliate WNCN, has the story.
• French president: I believe Trump will exit Iran deal
  But the French president said if the U.S. decides to get rid of the Iran deal, it will be a mistake
• Waffle House reopens amid tears and solemn remembrance
  Employees wore orange ribbons and hugged one another as a steady stream of customers came in to order food and show support
• Michael Cohen to plead the Fifth in Stormy Daniels suit
  President Trump's personal attorney says he will be using his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, on the advice of his counsel
• Port Authority official seen ranting at officers resigns
  A Port Authority commissioner who resigned last week was seen on video cursing at two police officers during a traffic stop. The footage shows her trying to pull rank. CBS News correspondent Adriana Diaz reports.
• Actor Hank Azaria talks "Apu" controversy with Colbert
  One of the voices behind "The Simpsons" has offered to stop portraying a character that has appeared in all 29 seasons -- and been shown in more than 70 countries. Many say the portrayal of Apu, the store owner, is racially insensitive. CBS News correspondent Carter Evans reports.
• Dallas cop becomes 24th officer killed this year in line of duty
  A Dallas officer who was shot at a Home Depot died Wednesday. Twenty-five officers have been gunned down in 2018 in the line of duty. At this time last year, 14 had died. The rising toll has some who wear the badge feeling like they're wearing a target. CBS News correspondent Omar Villafranca reports.
• Dallas cop is 24th officer killed this year in the line of duty
  "Officers are having a difficult time," says Sgt. Demetrick Pennie. "It's really when you look at and question what we do"
• Supreme Court signals it would uphold Trump's travel ban
  The Supreme Court indicated Wednesday it agrees that President Trump has the authority to ban travelers from a number of countries, including some majority-Muslim countries, in the name of national security. Lower courts had previously struck down versions of the ban. CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford reports.
• Will the White House stick with Ronny Jackson?
  Ronny Jackson, President Trump's pick to be the next Veterans Affairs secretary, is facing increasing scrutiny. CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett discusses new allegations against Jackson.
• New allegations against Ronny Jackson, Trump's pick to run Department of Veterans Affairs
  White House physician Ronny Jackson is denying the latest allegations against him, and the admiral is pressing ahead with his nomination to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. President Trump is standing behind him. CBS News political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports.
• Suspected "Golden State Killer" is a former cop
  Police in California believe they have solved one of the nation's enduring mysteries. They announced an arrest in the case of the “Golden State Killer,” who terrorized the state in the 1970s and 1980s. CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports.
• Report details new allegations against Ronny Jackson
  A confirmation hearing for the president's pick to run the VA was to be held Wednesday but was delayed
• Dog allegedly attacks passenger on NYC subway amid confrontation
  Authorities are searching for the owner of a pit bull that was seen on video attacking a woman on the subway Friday
• Boy overcomes autism to build Titanic replica
  Despite "titanic" challenges, the teen built a record-breaking replica; now, he's building a better world

BBC©

• Golden State Killer: DNA links ex-officer to California cold cases
  Police arrest Joseph James DeAngelo over the notorious Golden State murders from the 1970s and 1980s.
• Five times Macron ripped into Trumpism
  President Emmanuel Macron used a speech to Congress to deliver several rebukes to his US counterpart.
• US college says outdoors too risky for outdoors club
  Pennsylvania State University's caving and scuba clubs have also been deemed unsafe.
• Pennsylvania wife ambushes husband's lover and kills herself
  The cheated wife sent disturbing texts to her husband before ambushing his lover as she came home.
• Trump thanks Kanye West for Twitter compliments
  The US rapper says he and the president share "dragon energy" and calls Mr Trump his "brother".
• Ex-NFL cheerleaders offer to settle bias lawsuit for $1
  The two women, who allege gender discrimination, want to instead meet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
• An unusually late start to the season for USA's Tornado Alley
  Things are unusually quiet in Oklahoma and Kansas this year as 2018 could see the latest start to the tornado season on record.
• Hank Azaria 'willing to step aside' from Simpsons Apu role
  The actor told Stephen Colbert it felt "the right thing do" amid racial stereotyping claims.
• California professor's Barbara Bush tweets 'free speech'
  Following Barbara Bush's death, Randa Jarrar tweeted the ex-first lady had "raised a war criminal".
• Ronny Jackson defended by White House as vetting questions raised
  It leapt to the defence of Dr Ronny Jackson hours after suggesting he should step aside.
• Arizona special election: Narrow win unsettles Republicans
  A tight contest in a district that Donald Trump won by a wide margin worries GOP ahead of mid-terms.
• Alek Minassian Toronto van attack suspect praised 'incel' killer
  Alek Minassian posted minutes before a deadly van attack to praise a woman-hating mass killer.
• Photos that tell the story of the past 75 years
  A new US exhibition shows off some of the most striking news photos of the past seven decades.
• More Americans are raising children together - without being married
  A new report shows the growing share of unmarried but cohabitating parents in the US.
• Melania steps into spotlight for Macron visit
  The first lady threw her first state dinner under the Trump administration by hosting the French president and his wife.
• Toronto van attack: Calm actions of police stun US
  The calm actions of a police officer who did not open fire have prompted praise and astonishment.
• Is the Iran nuclear deal about to collapse?
  US President Donald Trump says it is the "worst deal ever" and threatened to abandon it in May.
• Toronto van attack: What is an 'incel'?
  Reports say the suspect in the Toronto van attack called for "Incel Rebellion" on Facebook.
• Toronto van attack: Single mum and grandmother among victims
  A father visiting his son, a grandmother and a local school board employee are among the dead.
• Meet the man who's survived a snake, bear and shark attack
  A 20-year-old outdoorsman bitten by a shark had previously survived a bear attack and snake bite.
• Travis Reinking: How did Waffle House suspect get guns after ban?
  Travis Reinking had previously been banned from owning firearms and had left a trail of red flags.
• Why I live in a plastic bottle castle
  The man building a four-storey castle out of recycled plastic bottles.
• What does a Trump-Macron bromance mean for the world?
  The unlikely personal rapport between Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump raises France's global profile.
• Queen's artist paints last Canadian WWII 'Dam Buster' pilot
  The men who were apart of the 1943 "Dam Busters" air-raid on Germany are featured in a portrait exhibit.
• Why singer Lucy Dacus makes her fans cry
  The US indie singer has been provoking big emotions as she tours her new album, Historian.
• Viewpoint: Will Syria air strikes cost Trump votes?
  The outcry sparked by Trump's bombing of Syria would be ignored at his peril, says Adam Gingrich.
• There's a clown running for US Congress. Literally
  Steve Lough was a circus performer for 30 years - now he wants to enter the political arena.
• Matthew Mellon: US billionaire dies in Mexico
  Matthew Mellon, the scion of two US banking dynasties, passed away in a rehab centre in Mexico.
• Elon Musk: Just walk out of bad meetings
  Tesla's chief advises staff to cut short phone calls and meetings as he aims to boost production.
• Trump to reconsider joining TPP trade pact
  The US president has previously slammed the deal with mostly Asia-Pacific nations as a potential "disaster".
• Mesmerising footage shows lava lake overflow in Hawaii
  Lava has risen above the crater floor in Hawaii's Kilauea volcano for the first time since 2016.
• How tariffs saved the US pencil industry
  As trade tariff controversies continue, US pencil-makers say levies on Chinese imports saved their businesses.
• Macron to US Congress: 'There is no Planet B'
  The French president received more than one standing ovation in his remarks to Congress on climate change.
• Toronto van attack: 'Love for all, hatred for none'
  A vigil has been held in Toronto following the van attack that left 10 people dead.
• US actress Rose McGowan: Weinstein tried to contact me
  US actress Rose McGowan tells the Victoria Derbyshire show Harvey Weinstein has tried to contact her.
• Trump greets Macron for first official state dinner
  President Donald Trump hosts French President Emmanuel Macron for his first official state dinner.
• Trump and Macron's most touching moments
  From air kisses to Oval Office grooming, the best bits from an unusually affectionate state visit.
• 'Trucker wall' helps prevent man from jumping to his death
  Thirteen truckers parked under an overpass after a man threatened to jump to his death from above.
• Police use stun gun on American Airlines passenger
  A man accused of groping a passenger refused to leave and wrestled officers who tried to remove him.
• Toronto van: Witnesses describe driver hitting pedestrians
  Ten people have been killed and 15 injured after a man drove a van into pedestrians in Toronto.

CNN©

• Suspected Waffle House gunman erased hard drive before shooting
  The man accused of killing four people at a Nashville-area Waffle House erased his laptop's hard drive weeks before the shooting, CNN affiliate WSMV reported.
• Restaurant reopens and is donating 100% of sales to families of shooting victims
  The Nashville-area Waffle House where a gunman killed four people over the weekend reopened its doors Wednesday morning for the first time since the shooting. And it has a plan to commemorate Sunday's victims.
• Waffle House hero: We were tussling for gun
  James Shaw Jr. tells CNN's Anderson Cooper how he wrestled the gun away from the man accused of killing four people at a Nashville-area Waffle House.
• Suspect thought Taylor Swift was stalking him and showed other signs of delusion
  When Travis Reinking breached a White House security barrier in July, police say, he had a very specific request: He wanted to meet with President Donald Trump.
• Opinion: The other man responsible in Waffle House shooting
  Travis Reinking, the man alleged to have shot up a Waffle House and snuffed out the lives of four innocent souls, thankfully is in custody. But he's not the only one who should pay for this terrible crime if convicted: His father, Jeffrey Reinking, should in that case be held legally accountable, and arguably should face prosecution.
• Why the electoral battlefield is expanding
  Two recent polls indicating surprising Democratic strength in Senate races across the Southwest underscore how the parties' shifting demographic and geographic bases of support are widening the electoral battlefield.
• Passwords at work could be on their way out
• Getting fired was the best thing that happened to this billionaire
• She invented Spanx. Now she's a billionaire
• Woman accused of trying to abduct babies at hospital speaks
• 98-yr-old spends birthday as construction worker
• Suspect erased laptop hard drive before shooting
• Woman stabbed by husband in Babies R Us lot
• Frat suspended for alleged gang rape
• Missing sailor found safe in another state
• Pit bull attacks woman on NYC subway
• Child abducted in car theft walks back to daycare
• Woman posthumously named Teacher of the Year
• 9-year-old tries to stop man from stealing purse
• 12-year-old self-taught piano prodigy wins more awards
• Clever highway safety signs hold serious messages
• Volunteers build ramp for veteran
• New law may shut out 4-yr-olds from kindergarten
• Officer arrested, used stun gun on middle schooler
• With help, animal control officer gets her goat
• 80-year-old to graduate college after 12 years
• Curious neighbor thwarts kidnapping attempt
• Bicycle crash survivors share testimony at trial
• 13-yr-old brought bomb-making materials to school

NPR©

• Pentagon Cites Multiple Missteps That Led To Ambush Of U.S. Troops In Niger
  The report says U.S. troops wound up on a more dangerous mission than planned and were exposed and vulnerable when attacked by Islamist extremists in a remote corner of the African nation.
• HUD Unveils Plan To Increase Rent On Millions Receiving Federal Housing Assistance
  Under HUD Secretary Ben Carson's proposal, some of the poorest families will see their rents triple. About 712,000 households would see rents jump to $150 per month under the proposal.
• Macron Doesn't Believe He Changed Trump's Mind On The Iran Deal
  Trump has said since he was a presidential candidate that he wanted to scrap the nuclear agreement with Tehran.
• Sen. Sherrod Brown Weighs In On New Allegations Against Ronny Jackson, VA Nominee
  NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, about the allegations against Dr. Ronny Jackson — the nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• The Consumer Complaints Database That Could Disappear From View
  Consumer Financial Protection Bureau chief Mick Mulvaney says he may shut down public access to more than a million complaints Americans have made about financial institutions.
• 'Student Loan Report' Admits Its Founder And Editor Is Fake
  Reporters from The Chronicle of Higher Education discovered that "Drew Cloud" was made up from thin air. The "news" site was created by a student loan refinancing company.
• DNA Analysis Of Ancient Excrement Reveals The Diets Of Centuries Past
  Researchers are exhuming ancient dung from toilets of yore to reconstruct snapshots of food and lifestyle in bygone centuries. The parasites that show up in privies reveal a lot about what people ate.
• 'Golden State Killer,' Suspected Of Terrorizing California For Years, Arrested
  Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, was taken into custody at his home outside Sacramento, not far from where officials say a decade-long crime spree of dozens of rapes and murders began in the 1970s.
• University Of Notre Dame President Reacts To College Basketball Recommendations
  NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Rev. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, about the college basketball commission that issued recommendations Tuesday that would toughen penalties for NCAA rules-violations.
• VIDEO: New Jersey Ethics Official Resigns Over Ethics Violations, Berating Officer
  A state official flashed her credentials and powerful connections after a traffic stop involving her daughter. She profanely told a policeman to shut up. She no longer holds the post.
• 'She Was Lying In Wait': Police Say Woman Killed Her Husband's Lover, Then Herself
  Pennsylvania authorities said Jennair Gerardot found out her husband was cheating on her and then gunned down Meredith Chapman before turning the seven-shot revolver on herself.
• Giving Antibiotics To Healthy Kids In Poor Countries: Good Idea Or Bad Idea?
  Researchers administered doses of azithromycin to 190,238 children in sub-Saharan Africa. The death rate dropped, but fear of antibiotic resistance looms.
• 'Insane': America's 3 Largest Psychiatric Facilities Are Jails
  Alisa Roth's new book suggests U.S. jails and prisons have become warehouses for the mentally ill. They often get sicker in these facilities, Roth says, because they don't get appropriate treatment.
• How Veterans Are Responding To The Allegations Against Ronny Jackson
  NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS about the stalled confirmation hearing for Ronny Jackson, President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• France's Macron Continues To Urge Trump To Stay In Iran Nuclear Deal
  French President Macron has been urging President Trump to stay in the Iran nuclear deal and work with Europe to deal with his concerns that weren't covered by it. But Trump has surrounded himself with advisors, who see no problem pulling out.

AP©

• Ex-cop arrested in sadistic crime spree from '70s and '80s
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- A man once sworn to protect the public from crime was accused Wednesday of living a double life terrorizing suburban neighborhoods at night, becoming one of California's most feared serial killers and rapists in the 1970s and '80s before leaving a cold trail that baffled investigators for more than three decades....
• More allegations emerge on VA pick as nomination falters
  WASHINGTON (AP) -- White House doctor Ronny Jackson exhibited a pattern of recklessly prescribing drugs and drunken behavior, including crashing a government vehicle while intoxicated and doling out such a large supply of a prescription opioid that staffers panicked because they thought the drugs were missing, according to accusations compiled by Democratic staff on the committee considering his nomination as Veterans Affairs secretary....
• 10 Things to Know for Thursday
  Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:...
• Kim Jong Un will walk across border for summit with Moon
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon-Jae-in will plant a commemorative tree and inspect an honor guard together after Kim walks across the border Friday for their historic summit, Seoul officials said Thursday....
• Rival Koreas' leaders face high stakes at historic summit
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- It may lack the punch of President Donald Trump's vow to unleash "fire and fury" and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's "nuclear button" boasts, but the stakes will be high on Friday when Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in sit down on the southern side of the no man's land that forms the world's most heavily armed border....
• Tears flow as victims of Waffle House shooting remembered
  NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Employees at a Waffle House where four people were killed in a weekend shooting rampage wore orange ribbons, hugged each other and wept as the restaurant re-opened. And a steady stream of customers came in to the Nashville restaurant Wednesday to show support....
• Toronto van attack throws spotlight on anti-woman vitriol
  TORONTO (AP) -- The deadly van rampage in Toronto is training attention on an online world of sexual loneliness, rage and misogyny after the suspect invoked an uprising by "involuntary celibates" and gave a shoutout to a California killer who seethed at women for rejecting him....
• Central American asylum seeking caravan reaches US border
  TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) -- About 130 Central Americans, mostly women and children, have arrived at the U.S. border with Mexico in a "caravan" of asylum-seeking immigrants that has drawn the fury of President Donald Trump....
• Trump lawyer says he'll plead the Fifth in porn actress case
  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- President Donald Trump's personal attorney said Wednesday he will assert his constitutional right against self-incrimination in a civil case brought by a porn actress who said she had an affair with Trump....
• Shot, save: LeBron bails out Cavs with Game 5 buzzer-beater
  CLEVELAND (AP) -- The game, the series, the season and perhaps Cleveland's future were in jeopardy....