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Lawsuit: Dangerous Arsenic Levels Found in California Wine

glass-of-wineLOS ANGELES (AP) — More than two dozen California vintners are facing a lawsuit claiming their wines contain dangerously high levels of arsenic.

The industry group Wine Institute dismissed the allegations as “false and misleading.”

The lawsuit names numerous low-priced wines, including popular brands such as Franzia, Mogen David and Almaden.

It says tests by three independent laboratories found arsenic levels that in some cases were 500 percent higher than what’s considered safe.

The complaint was filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of three San Diego residents and a Los Angeles man. It seeks class-action status.

The plaintiffs want unspecified punitive damages and a stop to the production of arsenic-tainted wine.

Arsenic occurs naturally in the air, soil and water in small amounts. In larger amounts, it can be deadly.

Police: 5 High School Students Accused in Murder Plot

Jail-Bars-and-Cuffs_mediumTUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Five students at a high school in Tucson are in custody for allegedly conspiring to kill another student on campus.

Tucson police say the five were arrested Wednesday night and booked into the Pima County Jail on suspicion of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

They say the arrested Flowing Wells High students are two 17-year-old girls, two 15-year-old boys and an 18-year-old boy.

Police went to the school Wednesday after another student told the Flowing Wells administrative staff of the alleged plan.

Detectives did interviews and learned five students were involved in a weeklong plan to kill another student they were having problems with, and one of the five brought a knife to school.

Police say Flowing Wells administrative staff found that student and discovered a knife in his possession.

Navy Identifies SEAL Killed in Training Accident

navyCORONADO, Calif. (AP) — Navy officials say a SEAL killed when his parachute malfunctioned during training in Southern California was a 29-year-old Colorado man who completed basic training to become a SEAL last year.

Naval Special Warfare Group One said Thursday that Jason Kortz of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, died from injuries sustained during the accident in Perris on Wednesday. The Navy is investigating why the parachute malfunctioned. It released no further details.

Naval Special Warfare Group One is the Coronado-based SEALs group to which the sailor was assigned.

Kortz enlisted in the Navy in 2012 and completed basic training for the SEALs last year in Coronado.

He is survived by his wife, parents and brother.

Coroner: Rat Raised to Feed Family’s Snake Fatally Bit Baby

odd-newsCARLISLE, Pa. (AP) — Authorities say a rat being raised to feed a Pennsylvania family’s pet snakes ended up biting a 6-month-old boy, killing him.

Cumberland County Coroner Charlie Hall said Thursday that the baby died from meningitis and myocarditis transmitted through the bite.

The family lives in Dillsburg. The coroner didn’t identify the boy or his family.

Hall says the child was treated at a hospital emergency room Dec. 30 for a fever and a rash. Two days later, the lethargic and feverish child was brought back and died in the emergency room.

Lab studies later revealed the baby had rat-bite fever. Hall says police and county caseworkers are investigating.

Teen Accused of Killing Man Who Spilled Coffee on Him

police-lights-redSTAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — A 15-year-old Connecticut boy is being held on $2 million bond after he was charged in the slaying of a man who police say had spilled coffee on him.

Police tell the Stamford Advocate that 52-year-old Antonio Muralles was leaving a Stamford restaurant March 11 when he bumped into the teen, spilling the coffee. Police say the teenager stabbed Muralles.

The boy appeared in a closed hearing Tuesday. He didn’t enter a plea, and his attorney declined to comment on the allegations. The newspaper said the case was moved to adult court.

Twenty-two-year-old James McLamb of New Haven also has been charged with murder in Muralles’ death and is being held on $2 million bond. His lawyer says he is reviewing the charge.

Police are looking for a third suspect.

Starbucks Delivery to Start in Seattle, New York City

starbucks-coffeeNEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says it will start delivering to customers in select parts of Seattle and New York City later this year.

The details will be discussed at the coffee chain’s annual meeting Wednesday.

In Seattle, it will team up with a company called Postmates to deliver to homes and offices within specific areas. In New York City, delivery will be from existing or newly setup Starbucks shops in certain buildings, starting with the Empire State Building.

Starbucks Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman said there will be no minimum purchase required, but that deliveries will require “a small flat fee.” He declined to say what the exact fee will be.

Brotman said the average time for deliveries will be 30 minutes, starting from when the order is placed.

Presbyterians Approve Gay Marriage in Church Constitution

gaymarriageNEW YORK (AP) — The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has recognized gay marriage for all of its congregations.

The denomination will expand its definition of marriage in the church constitution to say that marriage is a “commitment between two people.”

The top Presbyterian legislative body endorsed the new wording last year. But amending the constitution required approval from the majority of regional bodies, or presbyteries. The key “yes” vote came Tuesday night from the Presbytery of the Palisades in New Jersey.

The amendment caps decades of church debate over same-sex relationships. The denomination has about 1.8 million members and 10,000 congregations.

Church leaders acknowledged theological differences over marriage within the church and are asking for mutual respect as those disagreements play out. The new definition allows local clergy or congregations to opt out of hosting gay weddings.

Cops: Woman on Meth Kills Husband She Mistakes for Intruder

crime-scene-police-shootKNOX DALE, Pa. (AP) — Police say a Pennsylvania woman high from smoking methamphetamine has fatally shot her husband after mistaking him for an intruder.

Police say 31-year-old Trista Zickefoose shot her 40-year-old husband, Greg, on Sunday night at their duplex apartment in Knox Township, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Authorities say that the couple had argued after smoking the drug together and that Trista Zickefoose later heard a noise that she believed was from an intruder. Police say she grabbed a 9 mm pistol she kept under her pillow and fired a warning shot.

Police say her husband tried to take the gun away from her, but she shot him in the chest. She remains jailed Tuesday on a charge of criminal homicide.

Court records don’t list an attorney for her.

Aspirin Users with Common Gene May Get Less Colon Cancer

Medical-ChartCHICAGO (AP) — Researchers have identified common genetic traits that may explain how aspirin can help protect against colon cancer.

It’s too soon to recommend aspirin for colon cancer prevention and the needed genetic tests aren’t available outside of research. But they might be someday if future studies confirm the results.

Aspirin users were less likely than nonusers to get colon or rectal cancer if they had genetic traits found in about 90 percent of the participants. Cancer patients were less likely to have the beneficial traits, and less likely to be frequent aspirin users.

The results were published in Tuesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association.

Frequent aspirin use can cause intestinal bleeding so it’s not generally recommended for cancer prevention.

School Bus Hits, Seriously Injures 7-Year-Old in Idaho

school-busNAMPA, Idaho (AP) — Idaho police say a 7-year-old boy is hospitalized with serious injuries after he was hit by a school bus while crossing a street on his walk to school.

Nampa Police Sgt. Joe Ramirez says the first-grader was in an unmarked crosswalk when he was hit by the bus Tuesday morning. He was walking to school with an older brother.

The 7-year-old’s aunt, Rashell Okrakel, tells Boise television station KTVB that the bus stopped for the older boy but then began moving, hitting the younger child. Okrakel says the impact threw the boy several feet and knocked him unconscious.

Ramirez says the collision is under investigation, and the 75-year-old bus driver has not been charged.

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