Aretha Franklin, the undisputed Queen of Soul, has died. She was 76. She had battled undisclosed health issues in recent years, The Associated Press reported. Born March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, Franklin was an 18-time Grammy Award winner and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor. She was renowned for her powerful, distinctive gospel-honed vocal style that influenced singers across generations. Get More

President Donald Trump abruptly revoked the security clearance of ex-CIA Director John Brennan on Wednesday, an unprecedented act of retribution against a vocally critical former top U.S. official. Trump also threatened to yank the clearances of a handful of individuals, including former top intelligence and law enforcement officials, as well as a current member of the Justice Department. All are critics of the president or are people whom Trump appears to believe are against him. In a statement Trump denounced Brennan's criticism and spoke anxiously of "the risks posed by his erratic conduct and behavior." The president described his own action as fulfilling his "constitutional responsibility to protect the nation's classified information." Get More

Jurors began their deliberations Thursday in the trial of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who prosecutors say earned $60 million advising Russia-backed politicians in Ukraine, hid much of it from the IRS and then lied to banks to get loans when the money dried up. Manafort's defense countered that he wasn't culpable because he left the particulars of his finances to others. The financial fraud trial calls on the dozen jurors to follow the complexities of foreign bank accounts and shell companies, loan regulations and tax rules. It exposed details about the lavish lifestyle of the onetime political insider, including a $15,000 jacket made of ostrich leather and $900,000 spent at a boutique retailer in New York paid via international wire transfer. Get More

A man whose pregnant wife and two young daughters were missing for days has been arrested on three murder charges, NBC News reported. Chris Watts, 33, had pleaded for his family's safe return in a TV interview only to be taken into police custody Wednesday night. Watts admitted to killing his wife, Shanann Watts, and their daughters Bella and Celeste, a law enforcement source told NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver. NBC News has not confirmed that report. Shanann Watts' brother wrote in a distraught Facebook post overnight, "I just want 30 seconds alone with that heartless psychopath." Get More at NBC News

Given the number of high-profile school shootings last year, both children and adults may be feeling anxiety about school safety. As many kids head back to school, knowing how to speak with them is key in helping to alleviate fear and worry about their personal safety. Here’s where to start. Create a sense of normalcy and return to a routine. Children can feel safer when things are "normal" and they may open up about their thoughts. If they don't open up, encourage them with open-ended questions and let them lead the conversation. Know their concerns and worries are valid and recognize them. As most schools have active shooter drills or other safety practices, discuss with children why this is necessary and identify any adults they can turn to in those moments. Get More at Today.com

A Santa Rosa family celebrated a first special day of school Monday because, thanks to a judge’s order, their 5-year-old child will be able to attend kindergarten and bring her medical marijuana products on campus. When Brooke Adams walked onto campus Monday morning she was setting a legal precedent. While medical and recreation marijuana became legal in the state of California, it's still illegal to have marijuana products on public school campuses. Brooke will be one of the first children in the state and country to be legally allowed to be given medical marijuana at school. When she was just an infant, Brook was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet Syndrome. Get More

Pope Francis denounced on Thursday the horrible findings of a years-long grand jury investigation into 70 years of sexual abuse by Catholic Church officials in six Pennsylvania dioceses. He said through a spokesperson that the abuses described in the 1,300-page report are "criminal and morally reprehensible" and that they "robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith." The leader of the Catholic church issued the statement two days after the release of the much-anticipated report, which is the most comprehensive investigation yet into systemic sexual abuse in the church in the United States. Get More

Google has changed a help page that erroneously described how its "Location History" setting works, clarifying for users that it still tracks their location even if they turn the setting off. The change comes days after an Associated Press investigation revealed that several Google apps and websites store user location even if users have turned off Location History. Get More

For a third day in a row, New Haven emergency crews responded to multiple overdoses on the New Haven Green that are possibly linked to the synthetic drug K2. City officials said they have reports of a person handing out the drug for free, possibly to get people addicted. The total number of overdoses this week is now close to 100 without any fatalities. Nineteen additional people have been treated for overdoses since midnight, New Haven Emergency Operations Director Rick Fontana said. Not all 19 cases were on the Green, a park near Yale University at the center of the outbreak, and it's not clear if they are all related to K2. Fontana said emergency crews are looking into whether these most recent incidents are connected with the nearly 80 overdoses that took place in a 24-hour period Tuesday night and during the day on Wednesday. Get More

A former Texas police officer accused of killing a black teenager was angry, out of control and "trigger happy" when he fired at a car full of teenagers while responding to a house party, a prosecutor told jurors Thursday during the ex-officer's murder trial. Ex-Balch Springs officer Roy Oliver's actions were unreasonable on the night he fatally shot 15-year-old Jordan Edwards last year, said Michael Snipes, a Dallas County assistant district attorney. Snipes said Edwards was an "innocent child" and that his last words were "duck, get down." Oliver, who is white, fired his gun into a moving car carrying five black teenagers while responding to a report of underage drinking at the party. Oliver has said he and his partner feared for their lives as the car sped toward them. Get More

At a time when big-box retailers are trying to offer the same conveniences as their online competitors, the biggest U.S. grocery chain is testing the use of driverless cars to deliver groceries in a Phoenix suburb. Kroger's pilot program launched Thursday morning with a robotic vehicle parked outside one of its Fry's supermarkets in Scottsdale. A store clerk loaded the back seat with full grocery bags. Meanwhile, a person in the driver's seat to monitor the car's performance. Under the self-driving service, shoppers can order same-day or next-day delivery online or on a mobile app for a flat rate of about $6. After the order is placed, a driverless vehicle will deliver the groceries curbside, requiring customers to be present to fetch them. The vehicles will probably be opened with a numeric code. Get More

See how much of your hometown would be scorched by a fire as big as the record-breaking Mendocino Complex. Get More