Chuck Hagel Confirmed as Secretary of Defense
Chuck Hagel, whose confirmation hearing in the Senate was highly contentious, was finally confirmed today as the next secretary of defense by a vote of 58-41.
Buzzer Beaters: Brady Signs Extension, NHL May Realign, and More
Today's top sports stories:
Police Exchange Gunfire With Alleged Cop-Killer Christopher Dorner
Going on right now in Big Bear, California, is a gunfight between law-enforcement officials and alleged cop-killer Christopher Dorner. Multiple officers have apparently been injured during the battle, in which hundreds of rounds have been fired.
Women Will Soon Be Allowed to Serve in Ground Combat
For the first time, women in the armed forces will be moved into combat roles. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will make the official announcement Thursday.
Wal-Mart Plans to Hire 100,000 Veterans
The national unemployment rate spiked following the 2008 financial crash, and it has remained stubbornly high ever since. Unfortunately, it has been even worse for returning American servicemembers. Today, though, Wal-Mart announced a plan to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years.
President Bush Moved to Intensive Care Unit
Former President George H.W. Bush has been moved to the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital in Houston, due to a fever that is not responding to treatment.
2 Firefighters Shot and Killed at Scene of Fire in Webster, N.Y.; Gunman Dead (UPDATED)
UPDATE 4:07 p.m. EST: Authorities have identified the gunman as William Spengler, an ex-convict who spent 17 years in prison for murdering his 92-year-old grandmother in 1980.
Spengler was paroled for the crime in 1998.
Police also have not located Spengler's 67-year-old sister, who lived in the house with Spengler.
Authorities also report that a total of seven houses were destroyed in the blaze.
UPDATE 12:40 p.m. EST: Police chief Gerald Pickering says that the gunman, who was killed at the scene, either by police or from a self-inflicted wound, may have set a trap for first responders.
UPDATE 12:15 p.m. EST: The Associated Press is reporting that the gunman who killed the two firefighters is also dead. His body was found at the scene. The names of the two deceased firefighters, according to the Democrat and Chronicle, are Mike Chiapperini, 43, a volunteer firefighter and the Webster Police Department’s public information officer, and Tomasz Kaczowka. The names of the wounded firefighters are Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino.
Early Monday morning two firefighters were shot and killed when responding to a call in Webster, New York, just outside Rochester. After the firefighters arrived at 191 Lake Road, an unknown shooter fired at them as they left their truck, killing two of them and wounding two others. The wounded men are at a nearby hospital; one is in stable condition, the other is in guarded condition.
Westboro Baptist Church to Protest Newtown Funerals; Internet Retaliates
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, known for protesting the funerals of U.S. armed servicemen and women, announced that they plan to picket the upcoming funerals of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This did not go over well on the Internet.
How You Can Help Families in Newtown, Connecticut
In the wake of the horrific killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School last week, Americans across the country are wondering how they can aid the families of the victims. There are numerous methods to donate money, but you also can help in other ways, such as volunteering your time, writing a card or letter, or sending a teddy bear to a child in Newtown.
27 Dead, Including 20 Children, in Connecticut Elementary School Shooting (UPDATED)
NOTE: This post will be continually updated as new information comes in. Video and photos are below. All times Eastern.
UPDATE 6:30 p.m.: Originally it was thought that Adam Lanza, the gunman, shot his mother at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, where she was a teacher's aide. ABC has learned that, in fact, Nancy Lanza was killed at her home (by her son) prior to the massacre. He then drove to the school, where he killed 20 children and six adults, before killing himself.