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Fire Prompts Evacuation of Disney World Show; No Injuries Reported

disney-worldORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The “Festival of the Lion King Show” at Walt Disney World has resumed, a day after 1,000 people were evacuated to safety after a small fire broke out.

Disney spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said the show was up and running Tuesday

The fire started Monday afternoon under one of the floats used at the show inspired by the Disney movie “The Lion King.”

A Disney worker extinguished the blaze before firefighters got to the scene.

There were no injuries.

Guests received tickets for a different show after Monday’s last show was canceled.

Wahler says the cause of the fire was electrical.

Veterans Using Pot to Ease PTSD, Despite Scant Research

marijuana-jointTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A growing number of states are weighing whether to legalize marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. But for many veterans, the debate is already over.

They’re increasingly using cannabis even though it remains illegal in most states and is unapproved by the Department of Veterans Affairs because major studies have yet to show it is effective against PTSD.

While the research has been contradictory and limited, some former members of the military say marijuana helps them manage their anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. They say prescription drugs weren’t effective or left them feeling like zombies.

Others, though, have seen little benefit from pot. And the VA has documented a troubling rise in the number of PTSD-afflicted veterans who have been diagnosed with marijuana dependence, which some experts say can hamper recovery from war trauma.

Frank Sinatra Jr. Dead at 72

Frank Sinatra Jr. (Image Credit: sergio_leenen flickr.com)
Frank Sinatra Jr. (Image Credit: sergio_leenen flickr.com)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Frank Sinatra Jr., who carried on his famous father’s legacy with his own music career, has died. He was 72.

The Sinatra family said in a statement to The Associated Press that Sinatra died unexpectedly Wednesday of cardiac arrest while on tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The statement said the family mourns the untimely passing of their son, brother, father and uncle. No other details were provided.

Kidnapped and held for ransom when he was 19, Sinatra Jr. had already followed his dad into the music business by then. He eventually worked for his father as his musical director and conductor. He performed the National Anthem at a New York Yankees game last year.

FBI Agents Investigated Over Shots Fired During Standoff

FBIPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon investigators have concluded that state troopers who shot and killed a key figure of the weekslong occupation of a national wildlife refuge were justified in doing so.

But an FBI team that was also on the scene is under federal investigation for not disclosing they fired two shots that missed Robert “Lavoy” Finicum.

An investigation by Oregon law officials concluded Finicum was going for a gun during the Jan. 26 confrontation with state troopers and FBI agents on a remote road.

But investigators also discovered that FBI agents failed to disclose that they had also fired two shots, neither of which hit Finicum.

The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General said it is investigating the FBI team’s actions, working with Oregon officials.

Pet Tech Offers to Keep Pets Safe, Healthy and Connected

puppy-and-kittySAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Technology isn’t just for humans anymore. It’s also for their furry friends.

In Silicon Valley and beyond, a growing number of startups are selling devices to keep pets safe, healthy, entertained and connected when their owners are away.

“Pet tech” entrepreneurs and investors see a big opportunity as pet ownership grows globally and owners show a willingness to spend serious money on their four-legged companions.

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. households, or 80 million homes, have pets, and Americans spent more than $60 billion on them last year, according to the American Pet Products Association.

But as more pet-tech gadgets come to market, experts caution owners against relying on them too much, saying technology is no substitute for actually spending time with your dogs and cats.

CDC: 14 More US Reports of Possible Zika Spread Through Sex

cdcNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are investigating more than a dozen possible Zika infections that may have been spread through sex.

The 14 cases all involve men who visited areas with Zika outbreaks, and who many have infected their female sex partners, who had not traveled.

Zika virus is mainly spread by mosquito bites. But there have been at least two reported cases of sexual transmission, including a recent case in Texas.

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the 14 cases include two pregnant women whose infections have been confirmed. Tests are pending for their male partners.

Zika virus causes — at worst — only mild symptom in most people. But in Brazil, health officials have reported an apparent link between Zika infection and a rare birth defect.

Jury: Smokers Didn’t Prove That Marlboros Have Defective Design

jury-boxBOSTON (AP) — A federal jury has rejected claims by a group of Massachusetts smokers who sued Philip Morris USA to try to force the cigarette maker to pay for lung cancer screenings.

The jury in its verdict Wednesday found that smokers in the class-action lawsuit didn’t prove that Marlboro cigarettes were defectively designed.

The smokers were not seeking money. Instead, they wanted Philip Morris to pay for a medical-monitoring program, including 3-D chest scans that can detect signs of early-stage lung cancer.

Philip Morris says this is the third such medical-monitoring case to go to trial, and each time, the jury has ruled in the company’s favor.

Attorneys for the smokers didn’t immediately return calls.

The judge indicated she will decide whether there was a violation of Massachusetts consumer protection laws.

Mom Knocks Assistant Principal Unconscious, Police Say

police-lights-redPORTSMOUTH, Va. (AP) — Police say a Virginia mother hit an assistant principal at her child’s elementary school in the head, knocking her unconscious briefly.

Portsmouth police said in a news release that the confrontation occurred Tuesday afternoon, when 43-year-old Tracy Lawrence visited Lakeview Elementary School to speak to the assistant principal about an issue involving her child.

Police say witnesses told the investigators that Lawrence was unhappy with the assistant principal’s final decision on the matter. Police say Lawrence hit the assistant principal in the head, causing her to lose consciousness. Police were called, but Lawrence left before an officer arrived.

Police say they don’t believe any children witnessed the altercation.

Lawrence was arrested at her home and charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct.

Auto Recalls Last Year Break Annual Record Set in 2014

NHTSADETROIT (AP) — Automobile recalls hit another record last year as stronger government enforcement and widening recalls of exploding air bags pushed the total above 51 million vehicles.

The 2015 number barely beat the old record set in 2014. That total was adjusted downward from nearly 64 million to eliminate double counting in the massive recalls of air bag inflators made by Takata Corp.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recorded almost 900 recalls last year, beating the 2014 record of 803. The number was higher as automakers moved faster to fix problems. They reacted to millions in fines against companies for reporting safety problems too slowly.

The agency says the 2014 total was adjusted to just under 51 million due to double counting and moving some Takata recalls from 2014 into 2015.

‘American Pie’ Singer Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge

don-mcleanCAMDEN, Maine (AP) — A jail supervisor says “American Pie” singer Don McLean has been arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in Maine.

Cpl. Brad Woll says McLean was arrested and posted $10,000 bail early Monday at the Knox County Jail.

The 70-year-old singer-songwriter lives in Camden, Maine. A message left for the police chief there by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

Woll says he did not know if McLean had a lawyer. A message seeking comment was left through the singer’s website. A phone number listed under his name rang unanswered.

McLean’s original manuscript and notes to “American Pie” sold at auction for $1.2 million in April. The 1971 hit was about the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 — The Day the Music Died.

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