Jay-Z, whose actual name is Shawn Carter, is a rapper and businessman who was accused on Sunday of raping a teenage girl following an awards event over twenty years ago. The hip-hop tycoon, Sean Diddy Combs, is also facing federal sex trafficking accusations and a number of cases alleging sexual assault. The complaint, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, stated that the plaintiff in Sunday's claim was 13 years old at the time of the alleged assault. Carter said in a statement on Sunday that the accusations were "idiotic" and refuted them. The lawsuit was dismissed by Combs' legal team as a blatant publicity gimmick. What we know about the lawsuit is as follows. What are the allegations against Carter? Originally brought against Combs in October, the complain...

Despite a growing outbreak among U.S. animals and at least 58 human infections in seven states, Biden administration officials stated on Wednesday that they currently have no plans to sanction a stockpiled bird flu vaccine. Given that Trump has appointed anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services, the decision indicates that any decisions on a bird flu vaccine will probably be left to health officials in the upcoming Trump administration. As of Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the virus, which has been circulating in dairy cows since the spring, had affected at least 774 herds across 16 states. In an effort to combat the outbreak, the Department of Agriculture issued a federal order last Friday requ...

Authorities reported Wednesday that the Wisconsin man, who allegedly staged his own death before appearing alive and well in western Asia, has returned to the United States and been arrested by sheriff's deputies. Ryan Borgwardt was charged with obstruction of an officer when he appeared before a Green Lake County judge on Wednesday afternoon while handcuffed and dressed in an orange jumpsuit. "I have $20 in my wallet in the other room, so that's what I have," Borgwardt, 45, responded when Circuit Court Judge Mark Slate asked him if he could afford bail. Borgwardt "voluntarily turned himself in" from "halfway around the world," according to Slate, who also ordered bond at $500, stating that the defendant did not constitute a significant flight risk. For allegedly staging his own death befo...

A gubernatorial veto of a bill that deprives the state's incoming Democratic leaders of important authority was overridden by Republican lawmakers in North Carolina. In a party-line vote on Wednesday, the GOP-led state House of Representatives overrode outgoing Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto of legislation that is supposedly intended to aid hurricane victims but also undermines the power of statewide positions that Democrats won in last month's election, such as governor and attorney general. The bill will now take effect after the Republican-controlled state Senate overrode Cooper's veto last week, though legal challenges are anticipated. Given that the GOP is expected to lose its legislative supermajority after the 2024 elections, Democrats have denounced it as a power grab. Notab...

According to several reports, Bill Belichick, the former head coach of the New England Patriots and six-time Super Bowl champion, is anticipated to be hired as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The story was initially reported by NFL Network and ESPN. The Patriots were coached by Belichick, 72, from 2000 to 23. Before he and New England parted ways in January 2024, he won Super Bowls in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018. With 333 coaching victories, Belichick is second on the NFL's all-time tally. After the 1987 and 1990 seasons, he was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, where he won two Super Bowls. On November 26, the Tar Heels fired head coach Mack Brown. The squad has been guided by Brown for the past six seasons. Brown was the coach at North Carolina...

Washington The senior Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee and many other members of the party opposed a provision in a large defense policy package that passed the House on Wednesday that forbids gender-affirming care for servicemembers' children. It was approved 281-140. 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voted against it, while 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats supported it. The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is a comprehensive law that must be passed in order to allow expenditures for the Defense Department and establish defense policy prior to their expiration at the end of the year. It now goes to the Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, and needs President Joe Biden's signature to become law. Senior members of the House and Senate negotiated the bill. How...

In Malibu, California, a wind-whipped wildfire has rushed across the area, destroying at least eight buildings and damaging another seven. After expanding by 600 acres this morning, the Franklin Fire has now spread to around 4,000 acres with 7% containment as of Wednesday afternoon, according to an update from the city of Malibu. There have been no documented fire-related fatalities or injuries. Authorities in Los Angeles County have ordered almost 20,000 residents to evacuate due to the fire, which started Monday night local time. On Wednesday, though, things were starting to get better, giving firefighters a break and a chance to work. We experienced gusts of between 35 and 50 mph yesterday near the Franklin Fire. According to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Servi...

Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, wrote extensively about a severe back condition that he claimed caused him excruciating pain in a series of archived postings from a now-deleted Reddit account. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told Fox News on Tuesday that the NYPD is currently investigating if the shooting was caused by a refused insurance claim associated with that injury. On his social media, he was sharing an X-ray that showed many screws being driven into his spine. According to Kenny, in several of his works, he talked about how tough it was to sustain that damage. Therefore, we're investigating if the insurance company rejected one of his claims or failed to provide him with the best possible assistance. According to expe...

In a state Supreme Court contest that the Democratic incumbent leads by just over 700 votes, the North Carolina state Board of Elections ruled on Wednesday to reject a Republican challenge to toss away 60,000 ballots. Now that Democrats are up 3-2, the board could decide to certify Democrat Allison Riggs' victory, removing a significant obstacle for the party in the contentious election. The winner of the race has not yet been predicted by NBC News. Two recounts were triggered after Riggs, who was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2023, narrowly defeated Republican Jefferson Griffin, a state appeals court judge, on Election Day. In a full machine recount, Riggs was 734 votes ahead of Griffin. Although Riggs' lead was somewhat widened by a second, partial hand recount of the election,...

On Wednesday, federal officials denied that the enigmatic drones seen in New Jersey were coming from an Iranian "mothership." During an appearance on Fox News on Wednesday, U.S. Representative Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, asserted that the unidentified flying objects in his state's skies are coming from an Iranian warship off the east coast of the nation. The U.S. Department of Defense categorically disputed this assertion. According to high-ranking sources, Drew, a member of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, believes Iran is in control of the enigmatic items. These drones are part of a mothership that Iran launched, most likely a month ago. Off the east coast of the United States of America lies that mothership. According to Drew, they have launched drones into everythin...