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Man Charged With Filing Fake Voter Registration Applications in Va.

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A former resident of Alexandria, Virginia, is facing up to 40 years in prison after he allegedly used fake names to fill out voter registration applications. 

Vafalay Massaquoi, 30, is facing four felony charges related to allegations of voter registration fraud, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said. Each charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. 

In the spring of 2016, Massaquoi was registering new voters as an employee of a local advocacy group. According to the Commonwealth's Attorney, Massaquoi fabricated applications and used fake names to fill out the registration forms. 

While the Commonwealth's Attorney did not name the group Massaquoi was employed by, it appears he worked with the New Virginia Majority, an advocacy group aligned with the Democratic party. 

The fake applications were filed with the Alexandria Office of the General Registrar, who reported the issue to Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter.

Porter said while the false applications were filed, no illegal votes were cast in this case. 

"Since the fraudulent applications involved fictitious people, had the fraud not been uncovered the risk of actual fraudulent votes being cast was low," Porter said.

An arrest warrant was filed for Massaquoi in July, but he had already moved out of the area. After a search, Massaquoi was arrested near Philadelphia and extradited to Alexandria Oct. 27. 

Massaquoi appeared in court Friday morning and is being held without bond.



Photo Credit: Alexandria Police Department

76ers Apologize for Kicking Out 'We Matter' Anthem Singer

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The Philadelphia 76ers publicly apologized Friday to the singer who wasn't allowed to sing the national anthem at the team's home opener this week because of her "We Matter" jersey.

The team said in a statement that they hope singer Sevyn Streeter will come back and sing at the Wells Fargo Center before another game this season. Streeter was supposed to sing Wednesday evening before the Sixers' nationally-televised opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The team's statement released Friday afternoon read:

“We are sorry that this happened.  After receiving feedback from our players, basketball operations staff and ownership group, we believe that the wrong decision was made, and Sevyn should have been welcomed to sing.  We apologize to her, and in an effort to move the conversation forward, we have reached out to offer her an opportunity to return and perform at a game of her choice. We are waiting to hear back.”

The controversy began minutes after she was replaced by a Sixers cheerleader for the pre-game ceremony. Streeter posted a short video on Instagram saying she had been told she could not perform because of her attire.

"I'd say two minutes before we were about to walk out ... the organization told me that I could not wear my shirt while singing the national anthem at their game," the R&B singer later told the Associated Press. "I was never given any kind of dress code. I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe."

The Sixers initially would not say what caused the franchise to keep Streeter from singing.

"The Philadelphia 76ers organization encourages meaningful actions to drive social change. We use our games to bring people together, to build trust and to strengthen our communities. As we move from symbolic gestures to action, we will continue to leverage our platform to positively impact our community," the Sixers said in an initial statement.



Photo Credit: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Revolt TV
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Man Found Hiding Under Little Girl's Bed

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Florida deputies have arrested a 24-year-old Naples man who allegedly hid under the bed of his 11-year-old neighbor and left her a sexually explicit note.

Authorities took David Hanggigoble into custody for stalking after the girl and her mother explained how Hanggigoble's actions had escalated during recent days.

The victim said she was in the bathroom getting ready for school. When she came out, she saw Hanggigoble hiding under the bed. She ran from her room and called her mother. Her mother then contacted the sheriff's office and came home.

5 Things to Know About a Contested Election

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Recounts and legal challenges can take months to play out in some cases, but not in the election of a president: the Constitution sets strict deadlines, and not just the date for the inauguration.

There have been some long fights for office elsewhere, NBC News reported.

When Norm Coleman of Minnesota ran for the U.S. Senate in 2008, the election night count showed him beating Al Franken by a mere 725 votes. That triggered a process of recounts and court battles that played out for eight months. Al Franken wasn't sworn in until July 2009.

In Washington state, Dino Rossi gave up fighting seven months after it appeared he'd been elected governor in 2004 by a margin of 261 votes, when a third recount declared Christine Gregoire the winner.

One of the important things to know about elections is that, in the event of a close vote, state law determines how recounts work.



Photo Credit: Getty/NBC Universal

Chandra Levy's Mom Speaks Out on Condit Interview

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Chandra Levy's mother said former congressman Gary Condit has not revealed the whole truth about his relationship with her daughter.

Condit sat down with Dr. Phil McGraw Thursday for the first interview in 15 years to promote a book he co-authored about the case to tell his side of the story. At the time of Levy's disappearance in 2001, there was media speculation that the married California Democrat was having an affair with his 24-year-old intern.

"I did not have a romantic involvement with her, and I was not involved in her disappearance in any way,'' Condit told McGraw. Condit has also denied having any type of sexual relationship with Levy. 

In reaction to the interview, Levy’s mother told NBC's "Today" show: “It wasn’t a made up thing, they weren’t just good friends. I know otherwise because I did talk to my daughter and I found out who she was dating, secretively, because I was able to guess it.”

Another man was convicted in the killing of Levy, but that conviction was tossed out earlier this year.



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Russia Gets Hacked; Emails Show Ukraine Involvement

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Ukrainian group Cyber Hunta released hacked emails from the office of one of Putin’s top aides Vladislav Surkov, which reveal Russia’s involvement in the separatist movement in Ukraine, NBC News reported.

The emails detail Russia’s deep involvement in Russian-speaking regions of the Ukraine, which has led to a divided country and Russia’s takeover of Crimea. Surkov has been a close aide Putin for over a decade, serving as deputy prime minister and Putin’s deputy chief of staff. The 2,337 hacked emails from 2014 show his micro-managing of the Ukrainian situation, proving that he managed Russia’s most crucial operations.

A senior U.S. intelligence official denied involvement in the hack. When asked if the material was authentic, the official told NBC News there was “nothing to indicate otherwise.”



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FBI to Re-Open Investigation on Clinton Email Server

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In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, FBI Director James Comey wrote that the agency is investigating additional emails that were discovered as part of a separate investigation. 

"In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation … I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation," he wrote.

Asked to respond to the news from Comey and what it’s about, a top Clinton campaign spokesperson told NBC News, “No idea.”



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Dramatic Images: American Airlines Plane Fire at O'Hare

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Images from an American Airlines plane fire at O'Hare International Airport.

Photo Credit: @mlauletta/Twitter

RAW: Plane on Fire at O'Hare Airport in Chicago

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Passengers were forced to use chutes to evacuate plane.

MLB Commish Says Chief Wahoo Could Go, Casting Hope for Native American Movement

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The Cleveland Indians could win the World Series and then lose its logo.

Chief Wahoo, the Indians’ controversial mascot who is featured in the team's logo, could be retired after this season. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he was willing to speak to Indians owner Paul Dolan about the possibility of a logo change.

“I know that that particular logo is offensive to some people, and all of us at Major League Baseball understand why,” Manfred said at the Hank Aaron Awards news conference on Wednesday.

Manfred acknowledged that the club makes the decisions about its logo, not the commissioner's office. He said he has talked to Dolan in the past about the issue and they agreed “away from the World Series at an appropriate time” they will further discuss the matter.

These remarks cast a glimmer of hope for the Native American group that has been fighting for this cause for 46 years. 

“For 46 years now, we’ve been asking the team to change its name,” said Sundance, the executive director of the Cleveland Autonomous American Indian Movement (AIM). “It’s 46 years overdue, but we’ll gladly accept it.” This group is not affiliated with the American Indian Movement of Ohio.

He added that with the commissioner’s comments, their fight is now “more than just a pipedream.”

In January 1972, Cleveland Autonomous AIM sued the Indians for libel and slander in an unsuccessful effort to change the team name and logo. In 1995, the group filed another lawsuit, this time against Gateway Corp, which manages the Indians’ stadium, and the Indians for barring Cleveland Autonomous AIM’s demonstrations outside the stadium. The lawsuit was settled on the terms that the group can protest four times a year with seven days notice. Cleveland Autonomous AIM has protested at every opening day of the Indians’ season since 1973.

Sundance has been the executive director for 10 years and has led Cleveland Autonomous AIM’s protests throughout this season.

“Responses [to our protests] from the public is a broad spectrum,” he said.

He noted that fans are most “hostile, belligerent and vocal” on opening day. He attributed these attitudes to the affluence it takes to attend the opening day game in the middle of a work day, suggesting that wealthier fans are more attached to the Indians mascot and care less about its political implications.

During the season, Sundance said the tone shifts towards more sympathy for Cleveland AIM’s cause, especially from opposing teams. While they are still supporting the Indians by attending games at Progressive Field, he acknowledged the importance of “cultivating allies” when they can.

Sundance expected the World Series protests to be similar to the opening day hostility, but said he was surprised with the support the group received from the majority of spectators.

"I think this is a step in the right direction," said Philip Yenyo, executive director of the American Indian Movement of Ohio, of the commissioner's announcement. "I would like to see them invite us to the table to talk to Mr. Dolan and the commissioner. We want to educate the public on who we are and our culture."

Yenyo doesn't think changing the name is enough, either.

"It's not just the logo, it's the name too, it gives fans free reign to dress up as buffoons and basically mock us," he said. Fans often tell the groups of protesters to "go back to where they came from."

"They don't have to knowledge of how these mascots effect people."

In the meantime, Yenyo plans to offer a letter to the commissioner to make a case for open dialogue about the Cleveland Indians name and mascot.

NBC reached out to the Cleveland Indians front office for comment, but has not yet heard a response.



Photo Credit: AP

Student Accused of Serial Rape Said Influences Include Satan

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Before he was accused of sexually assaulting multiple women at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 20-year-old Alec Cook was a guitar-loving high school rugby player who said his main influences included God, Jimmy Page and Satan, NBC News reported.

In a profile published in his high school newspaper two years ago, the Edina, Minnesota, native talked about his love of music and performing for his classmates.

Asked about his main influences, Cook replied: "[T]he Christian God, number one. And then probably Satan as number two because without Satan, God would have nothing to do."

Cook told the newspaper his other influences were musicians Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix, and the comedy band Flight of the Conchords. After thinking about it for a bit, however, the newspaper says Cook modified his answer: "[A]ctually, no, put Jimi first because Jimi and God are interchangeable."



Photo Credit: Dane County Sheriff's Office/AP

Erica Garner Slams Clinton Campaign for Talk of 'Using' Dad

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Erica Garner slammed Hillary Clinton's campaign in a series of tweets Thursday after new emails released by WikiLeaks showed how the Democratic presidential nominee's staff mentioned the death of her father while discussing language for a newspaper editorial on gun violence this spring.

"I'm troubled by the revelation that you and this campaign actually discussed 'using' Eric Garner ... why would you want to 'use' my dad?" she tweeted. "These people will co opt anything to push their agenda. Police violence is not the same as gun violence."

"I'm very interested to know exactly what @CoreyCiorciari meant when he said 'I know we have an Erica Garner problem' in the #PodestaEmails19," she added. 

She included links to the emails released by WikiLeaks and accused campaign staffers of exploiting her father's death to bolster Clinton's stance on gun control. The hacked emails show internal communications between campaign staffers discussing the language of an editorial piece on gun violence that ran in the Daily News on March 27. 

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"I know we have Erica Garner issues but we don't want to mention Eric at all? I can see her coming after us for leaving him out of the piece," Clinton's traveling press secretary Nick Merrill wrote in a March 17 email.

Senior Political Adviser Maya Harris corrected Merrill in a reply: "Eric Garner not included because not killed by gun violence."

"I'm glad you had Maya on your team to explain why you wont (sic) be USING my dad in you (sic) f-----g gun violence piece ... Black woman saved your a--," Garner tweeted.

"Your sister Maya saved the Clinton campaign a lot of embarrassment," she added in a retweet to Kamala Harris, the sister of Clinton's political adviser. 

A spokesperson for the Clinton campaign did not respond to questions regarding the recent tweets. 

Garner's father was killed in July 2014 after he was stopped by police for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes and was placed in a chokehold by officer Daniel Pantaleo. A New York grand jury opted not to indict Pantaleo on criminal charges. He has been on modified duty pending the results of a federal probe into whether civil rights charges should be filed in the case. 



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Top Celeb Pics: Fashion Group International's Night of Stars

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Check out the latest photos of your favorite celebrities.

Photo Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Panicked Passengers Slide Out of Burning Plane in Chicago

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Incredible video from inside the American Airlines airplane on fire at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport as panicked passengers scramble to exit. Read the latest here.

'Hey, It's Jess': Meet Woman Behind Clinton Campaign Texts

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The woman behind the "Hey, it's Jess" text messages that the Hillary Clinton campaign sends to more than 1 million subscribers says recipients send back photos of their families, their pets -- and in one case -- themselves riding a llama.

"We've been texting for over a year, since Hillary launched her campaign last year, so at this point people really feel like they know me," Jessica Morales Rocketto said.

If you receive the Clinton campaign's text messages, you know about Jess.

"Hey, it's Jess," texts from the campaign often begin before asking recipients to donate, hear what Donald Trump thinks about issues or win a chance to ride on Clinton's campaign plane.

Jess texts some people more than their significant others, some recipients have said on social media, and sends enough messages that iPhones suggest adding her as a contact.

Morales Rocketto told News4 that subscribers are often surprised to hear she's a real person.

"It's not a robot. I get that question a lot. 'Are you a robot?' Nope! I'm not," she said Thursday, speaking from her home via Skype.

Morales Rocketto is digital organizing director for Hillary for America. She's 30 years old, grew up in Los Angeles and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, two cats and a dog.

She said she has been surprised by how often people respond to the texts. She and campaign mobile strategist Lloyd Cotler send replies.

"We really do look at as many messages as we can and try to respond," she said.

The texts are part of a "multimillion-dollar fundraising operation over SMS," Morales Rocketto said. The subscriber list is still growing less than two weeks before the election, she said.

The texts are reaching people young and old, with an English list and a Spanish list. Even a message with a GIF of Clinton brushing off her shoulders -- a joke that perhaps speaks to a younger crowd -- was sent to everyone, regardless of age, Morales Rocketto said.

"We try to make sure that what we're saying is broad enough for everyone to enjoy," she said.

She and Cotler write the texts, and they go through a "pretty lengthy approval process."

"Obviously, talking to millions of people, we don't just press send," she said.

Among Morales Rocketto's favorites responses to the texts have been the Twitter hashtag #JessIsBae and notes from people who said "I feel like we're best friends," she said.

Many interactions have been more substantive, Morales Rocketto said.

Earlier this month, the campaign sent a text message asking recipients if they had questions about voting in their state. The campaign said someone would reply with an answer within 24 hours.

"We got tens of thousands of messages from people asking us 'Where can I early vote?' 'What's my polling place? 'Do I have to bring ID?' People are really hungry to engage with us," she said.

Asked to react to the criticism that the campaign is sending too many texts, Morales Rocketto said that data shows the number is just right.

"Although we do hear occasionally from people that they hear from us quite a bit, people also really like the messages and they're not unsubscribing," she said. "We try hard not to send a message that isn't interesting or delightful or important to come into your inbox, but with only a couple of weeks until the election, we certainly have quite a lot of information to make sure we tell voters."

Morales Rocketto called working for the campaign a longtime dream.

"When I was 8 or 9 years old, I told my mom that I was going to be the first woman president, except if Hillary Clinton was the first woman president, then I would be the second woman president and I would work for her," she said.

What's next for Morales Rocketto? That's to be determined.

"I'm really focused on making sure Hillary gets elected president," she said.



Photo Credit: NBC Washington
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Humpback Whale Found Dead in Delware Port

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A young humpback whale was found dead early Friday in a berth at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware.

The whale, 25 to 30 feet long and weighing about 37,000 pounds, was found entangled in fishing gear, according to marine life officials.

The cause of death was not immediately known but officials with the Lewes-based Marine Education, Research & Rehabilitation Institute were working to remove the animal from the port to examine it.

Officials said the whale could have died before getting entangled or could have died from being entangled.

Suzanne Thurman, executive director of MERR Institute said whales have been sighted in the Delaware river before.



Photo Credit: Trini Dadian, Delaware-surf-fishing.com

NY Man Returns Book 42 Years Overdue

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William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" has sat in the 900 section of New York's Guilderland Library since it was first published in 1960 - but it isn't the original copy. That one was checked out in April 1974, and returned Tuesday.

"It's a notable thing. Doesn't happen very often. I've been in libraries for 30 years and this is the most extreme overdue book I'm aware of," explains Guilderland Library Director Tim Wiles.

It's unclear why, exactly, the patron kept the book for so long. But it seems this chronicle of Nazi Germany now has a history of its own.

"He left, he told us he moved to another country and had taken the book with him and moved back but felt it should come back home," explains Wiles.

Late fees for a book thats 15,531 days overdue total $3,106.20.

Fedex Plane Catches Fire After Landing Gear Collapses at Florida Airport

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A FedEx cargo plane's landing gear collapsed shortly after landing at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport Friday, sparking a fire, according to the Federal Aviation Authority.

FedEx 910, a DC-10 aircraft, was rolling on Runway 10 Left when one of the plane's landing gears collapsed and it's left wing caught fire, a Fort Lauderdale airport spokesman said.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials said the two pilots on board escaped using a rope ladder on the side of the plane.

FedEx officials said the two pilots are safe after the incident. The plane had just arrived from Memphis.

Video footage from witnesses posted on social media showed an explosion followed by smoke billowing from the plane, which appeared to be tilted on its side.

"We turned and saw smoke billowing out and we took video and pics and we were walking back to our car and heard this huge explosion, we assumed it was the engine," witness John Anderson said. "It was crazy, we just hoped everyone was safe."

Aerial footage showed crews working to put out the fire. The plane's charred left wing, and surrounding runway and grass was immersed in foam.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue responded to the scene and officials said the flames were quickly extinguished.

Fire Rescue officials said units were on the scene in two minutes and found a trail of fire down the runway.

"There was a trail of fire, it was like a fireball, a running fuel fire down the runway leading to the jet," Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles said. "So this fire started wherever contact was made with the wing, engine and the tarmac."

A ground stop was issued at the airport and delays were reported as the airport closed just before 6 p.m. The south runway re-opened at 7 p.m. but the north runway remained closed while the incident was investigated.

A total of 29 flights were diverted during the closure, airport officials said.

Officials said there were 40,000 pounds of fuel on the plane when it landed. It was also carrying US mail but officials said it appeared that the damage was confined to the outer part of the plane.

The FAA and NTSB will investigate the incident.

"We have to let the NTSB do their investigation, then we have to go in and get the plane out of there and then do the repairs to the runway," airport spokesman Greg Meyer said.



Photo Credit: NBC 6
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Florida DMV Fight Caught on Camera

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A man who claims he was attacked when he reported wrongdoing outside a Department of Motor Vehicles office in Hialeah Gardens says he has the video to prove it.

Gus Abella says he reported to DMV workers that competing driving instructors were soliciting citizens outside of the facility and was then attacked by a woman outside. Police say the woman, Monica Gonzalez Quevedo, was arrested and charged with battery and told to stay away from the facility.

Abella says Quevedo hit his phone, knocking it from his hands.

"She just took a big hit. I didn't say nothing to her. I had my phone to right about here, and it was like from the face on down, and knocked the phone out of my hand."

Abella said that there had been a history of driving instructors outside in the parking lot of the DMV office not following the letter of the law, specifically by approaching people in the parking lot to try to sell them driving instruction services.

"She was saying, why was I complaining? And she turns to the other driver instructors that were there, and she started saying to them that they needed to get me out of that site — because I was making...a legitimate complaint," Abella said.

When NBC 6's cameras arrived Friday, many of the men and women in the parking lot avoided being seen on video.

Abella says that as a result of the altercation, police told him he couldn't return to the facility. He says that for the month since, he has been unable earn a living. He says police told him that he would be arrested if he was caught on the premises.

"I was assaulted. I have the right to speak up that there was some wrongdoing in the line there," he said.

The woman seen in the video who was charged told NBC 6 the situation had been resolved.

The state says it's standing by its decisions to have the woman arrested and to keep Abella off the premises. 

The state also said that it won't tolerate any solicitation at any of its facilities, and they encourage anyone who's approached or harrassed to report the violation.

Millions to Watch Gaming Tournament

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Stroll around Staples Center right now, and you might wonder what huge athletic event is being planned.

There are hardcore fans buzzing, Chick Hearn Court is completely blocked to traffic and giant barriers and signs advertise an upcoming world championship.

Despite the sense of anticipation, many may be totally unfamiliar with the event: It's the 2016 League of Legends World Championship, where the best international gaming teams play each other online. And the multi-player online battle arena is not something fans can see broadcast on traditional TV.

"They're competitive and larger than, say, the NBA finals," said Dmitri Williams, who specializes in video gaming at USC's Annenberg School. "These are really, really big events."

Crowds aren't flocking to Staples to play the video game — they're coming to watch other people play. The event pulls in more spectators every year than the Stanley Cup Finals and World Series combined.

"This is the world's most popular game — 100 million monthly active players," Williams said.

Santa Monica-based Riot Games generates hundreds of millions of dollars a year from this one title, said Williams.

League of Legends allows players to battle each other in real-time from all over the world.

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