Pressure on Obama to grant last-minute pardons, commutations

Under mounting pressure to free convicts as a last act, President Barack Obama is planning at least one more batch of pardons and commutations before leaving office in two weeks, but don't expect many famous offenders to make the list. The list of bold names appealing to Obama for compassion in his final weeks includes accused leaker Chelsea Manning, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, Army Sgt.

Shunning the U.S., Philippine President Duterte Will Consider Maritime Drills With Russia

Russian Navy sailors stand guard at the gangway leading to the anti-submarine ship Admiral Tributs shortly after arriving at port in Manila on Jan. 3. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will consider joint naval exercises with Russia to enhance the countries' maritime cooperation, his spokesman Ernesto Abella said Thursday, months after the Philippines decided to reduce military exercises with the U.S. At a briefing in the presidential palace, Abella said Duterte considered this week's visit by two Russian warships to the capital Manila as a sign that the Philippines could strengthen its naval diplomacy with Russia. Duterte is scheduled to visit one of the ships on Friday.

First female infantry Marines joining…

The Marine Corps will make history on Thursday when the first three female infantry Marines join their unit at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials said. The women are headed to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, where they will serve in the following infantry military occupational specialties: rifleman, machine gunner and mortar Marine, said 1st Lt.

Vet Who Served With 1st Black Marines Dies

A Georgia man who served among the first black U.S. Marines during World War II died Tuesday just a few years after Congress honored him and fellow Montford Point Marines for their pioneering role in a segregated military. Angus Hardie Jamerson, known as Jay to his family and friends, died peacefully in his sleep at age 89, said his daughter, Wendy Jamerson.

SpaceX: Failure of helium storage tank caused September rocket explosion

Four months after a Falcon 9 rocket exploded on a Florida launch pad, SpaceX said Monday that the cause was a failed composite overwrapped pressure vessel used to store liquid helium. In the final update to its investigation, the space company said one of three such tanks in the rocket's larger, second-stage liquid oxygen tank failed, probably after a buildup of liquid oxygen between the vessel's aluminum inner liner and its carbon overwrap ignited.

The Latest: Recovery delayed for missing plane with 6 aboard

In this Aug. 1, 2008 photo, Dublin Irish Festival honorary chairman John T. Fleming proposes at toast following the tapping of the first Dublin Stout Keg at Brazenhead in Dublin, Ohio. A flight-tracking service shows that a plane piloted by the Ohio executive with five other people onboard quickly lost altitude after taking off from Cleveland's lakeshore airport.

Divers to assist in trying to find missing plane in Lake Erie

After searching for a small plane that went missing following takeoff from Burke Lakefront Airport on Thursday night, the Coast Guard, along with Cleveland officials, said they will use divers to try to find the plane in Lake Erie. A Saturday morning news conference was held to talk about the recovery process after the search was suspended Friday evening.

Search for missing plane, 6 aboard, yields no clues

In this Aug. 1, 2008 photo, Dublin Irish Festival honorary chairman John T. Fleming proposes at toast following the tapping of the first Dublin Stout Keg at Brazenhead in Dublin, Ohio. A flight-tracking service shows that a plane piloted by the Ohio executive with five other people onboard quickly lost altitude after taking off from Cleveland's lakeshore airport.

3 Missing in downed plane incident off Hawaiian island

Three people are missing after a small plane vanished from radar off the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i, the US Coast Guard said in a statement Saturday. The Cessna 172 aircraft left Moloka'i Airport and was headed to Honolulu, Hawaii, on Friday when it dropped off radar approximately four miles east of Ilio Point, the Coast Guard said.

Ex-POW from Hillary Clinton campaign ads dies

Joel Sollender, a Jewish World War II veteran and former prisoner of war, who appeared in an ad on behalf of Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, September, 2016. Joel Sollender, a World War II prisoner of war who appeared in television ads for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, has died.