HOUSTON — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords left the hospital and boarded an airplane Wednesday to travel to Florida to see her husband’s space shuttle launch in another important step in her long recovery from a bullet wound to the head suffered at a political event nearly four months ago. Giffords chief of staff Pia Carusone confirmed to The Associated Press that she and the congresswoman boarded a jet in Houston. She declined to comment further, except to say she will be flying with Giffords and they will arrive in Cape Canaveral together. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is leading the shuttle crew that is set to lift off on Friday in an event that President Barack Obama will also attend. Kelly arrived at NASA’s launch site Tuesday to prepare for the nation’s next-to-last space shuttle mission. Local Texas station ABC 13 reports: From SkyEye 13 HD, Giffords could be seen getting up out of a wheelchair on the tarmac at Ellington Field and walking slowly up the stairs one-by-one to enter the plane. It was a remarkable moment in her recovery thus far. “It’s something she’s been looking forward to for a long time,” Kelly said of his wife’s attendance at the launch. “She’s been working really hard to make sure that her doctors would permit her to come. She’s more than medically ready to be here, and she’s excited about making this trip.” WATCH:
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The deadly wave of tornadoes that has ripped through the south over the last 24 hours has claimed more than 250 lives. But the survivors of the storm are still holding strong. And now, they are beginning to tell their stories of courage amid catastrophe. (More on TIME.com: Photos from the disaster zone) Lisa Rice
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Letting younger teens drink alcohol with supervision from mom and dad may lead to higher drinking rates and more alcohol-related problems as kids get older than a “zero tolerance” approach, a new study suggests.
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RABAT, Morocco—Morocco’s Interior Ministry says an explosion in a cafe popular with tourists in Marrakech has killed 14 people and injured 20. The state news agency MAP quotes the ministry statement as saying that it appeared to be a “criminal act.” The explosion happened Thursday at the Argana cafe, on the famed Djemaa el-Fna square in the center of Marrakech. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further…
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A Bahraini national security court has sentenced four men to death for killing two police officers during the pro-democracy protests that were crushed by the authorities last month. The sentences are likely to deepen divisions between Bahrain’s Shia majority, which has been demanding greater political and civil rights, and the Sunni monarchy, backed by Saudi Arabia and the Sunni-dominated Bahraini security forces. A further 400 people who have been detained are expected to be prosecuted, according to the state news agency. “The people are very angry,” Ali al-Aswad, a Bahraini MP, said. “This comes as a surprise as the defendants were not allowed any lawyers in court and we did…
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A Bahraini national security court has sentenced four men to death for killing two police officers during the pro-democracy protests that were crushed by the authorities last month. The sentences are likely to deepen divisions between Bahrain’s Shia majority, which has been demanding greater political and civil rights, and the Sunni monarchy, backed by Saudi Arabia and the Sunni-dominated Bahraini security forces. A further 400 people who have been detained are expected to be prosecuted, according to the state news agency. “The people are very angry,” Ali al-Aswad, a Bahraini MP, said. “This comes as a surprise as the defendants were not allowed any lawyers in court and we did…
Continue reading …There won’t be a trial in the Jaycee Dugard case , after all: Philip and Nancy Garrido each pleaded guilty today to kidnapping and sexual enslavement, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. “I am relieved that Phillip and Nancy Garrido have finally acknowledged their guilt and confessed to their crimes against me…
Continue reading …Watching the nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton across the pond? You’ll be up early. If you’re cooking your scones right now to prepare for your viewing party, here’s a handy printout if you live on either coast. Add an hour to PST if you live in Mountain Time, and subtract an hour from
Continue reading …President Obama will visit Alabama tomorrow to see the tornado devastation for himself and meet with families and Gov. Robert Bentley, reports AP . Meanwhile: The total death toll is at 280 and expected to rise. Alabama is the hardest hit with 194 fatalities, followed by Mississippi (33), Tennessee (33), Georgia…
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A simple checklist completed by parents can help doctors screen for signs of autism as early as the first birthday, according to new research.
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