'I'm in shock about the whole thing': 3 Girl Scouts killed in roadside crash

A suspected hit-and-run driver was facing four homicide counts Sunday after his pickup slammed into Girl Scouts collecting trash along the side of a Wisconsin road, killing three children and an adult chaperone, police said.

Colten Treu, 21, was driving the black Ford F-150 that veered off the road and into the troop Saturday in Lake Hallie, about 95 miles east of Minneapolis, Lake Hallie Police Sgt. Daniel Sokup said. Treu fled the scene but turned himself in several hours later, Sokup said.

Two girls and the chaperone died at the scene, he said. Two injured girls were rushed to a hospital, where one died and one was hospitalized in critical condition.

Hours later, hundreds of community members gathered outside Halmstad Elementary School, holding candles and umbrellas and signing songs to honor the victims

The Girl Scouts were in fourth grade.“I’m in shock about the whole thing,” Joslyn Curtis, whose niece was one of the Girl Scouts not injured in the crash, told the Leader-Telegram in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. “My heart goes out to everyone who was hit and their families. But selfishly, I’m so grateful she (her niece) was not one.”

Sokup said the investigation was ongoing, but that the crash occurred in daylight in an area with no blind spots.

“The area is not an unsafe area,” he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He added that it was unclear whether Treu may have been distracted when the crash occurred.

Sokup said Treu will be charged with four counts of homicide through the negligent use of a vehicle. 

Cecily Spallees, an attendant at a nearby group home, said drivers regularly speed in the area, where the road changes from a 55 mph to 35 mph. There are no streetlights along the section of road, she told the Star Tribune.

“I’m always telling one of my residents that he shouldn’t walk this strip at night,” said Spallees. “It’s not safe.”

Contributing: The Associated Pres

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How Daylight Saving affects your sleep and overall health

Daylight Saving Time ends and clocks will "fall back" an hour this weekend, giving Americans the feeling of an extra hour in the morning, which could negatively affect their health. 

"Ever since the institution of Daylight Saving Time, there has been controversy regarding whether it accomplishes its goals or not, and if so — at what cost," Timothy Morgenthaler, Mayo Clinic's co-director of the Center for Sleep Medicine, said in an email.

Morgenthaler has reviewed about 100 medical papers related to how the time change could affect health.

Here's what you should know:

Sleep

Gaining or losing an hour will likely affect sleep patterns, often for about five to seven days, Morgenthaler said. The most notable changes are in those who regularly do not get enough sleep. People who are sleep-deprived might struggle with memory, learning, social interactions and overall cognitive performance.

"People have more changes in how sleepy they feel or how it affects the quality of their sleep when we 'spring forward' than when we 'fall back,'" Morgenthaler said. 

Heart attack or stroke

According to a study led by a University of Colorado fellow in 2014, when Americans lose one hour of sleep in the spring, the risk of heart attack increases 25 percent. When the clock gives back that hour of sleep the risk of heart attack decreases by 21 percent. (The limited study looked at hospital admission data in Michigan over a four-year period.)

A preliminary study presented at the 2016 American Academy of Neurology meeting suggested turning the clock ahead or behind an hour could increase risk of stroke. That's because disrupting a person's internal body clock might increase the risk of ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, according to researchers. The data showed risk of ischemic stroke was 8 percent higher two days after a Daylight Saving Time. 

These studies are two of several on these negative health effects, and they don't always paint the whole picture, Morgenthaler said. 

"Of several published between 2010 and 2014, three studies showed that DST increases the risk of acute myocardial infarctions (AMIs), however, two others demonstrated that the timing (but not the incidence) of strokes and AMIs may be influenced by DST," Morgenthaler points out. 

Crashes

Many have also studied the time change's impact on vehicle crashes and fatalities. The largest studies that correct for volume and driving activity as well as time of day "show no significant effect" on Daylight Saving Time changes, Morgenthaler said. Still, he cautions to remain aware while driving or walking near a road, especially early in the morning or late at night, after the change. 

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Utah mayor Brent Taylor killed in latest Afghanistan 'insider attack'

A Utah mayor was killed in Afghanistan during an "insider attack" while serving with the Utah National Guard in Kabul, the second deadly such attack in the war-torn country in less than a month.

North Ogden Mayor Brent Taylor, 39, a married father of seven, was killed and another soldier was wounded Saturday by a member of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, Major General Jeff Burton, who leads Utah's National Guard, confirmed Sunday.

Initial reports indicated the attacker was killed immediately by other Afghan Forces, Burton said.

"Brent typified the citizen soldier who served so diligently in his community as well as felt this call to wear a uniform and serve where ever the nation needed him to go," Burton said. "He's a heavy loss for us." Burton and the Pentagon said the attack was under investigation and released no other details.

Last month an Afghan bodyguard opened fire at a meeting in Kandahar province between local leaders and the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Three senior provincial officials were killed and three Americans were wounded, although Gen. Austin Miller was unharmed. 

Taliban militants, who have experienced a recent resurgence in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for that attack. NATO and U.S. forces have deployed more troops to support Afghan forces struggling against the Taliban and remnants of the Islamic State active in the country. Taylor, part of that effort, had said he was in Afghanistan to help train Afghan troops.

James Piazza, a Penn State professor specializing in political violence in the Islamic world, says there are reports of "severe demoralization" and desertion among Afghan troops.

"Attacks like this threaten to drive a wedge between U.S. military personnel and Afghan forces," Piazza told USA TODAY. "If U.S. military personnel, sent to Afghanistan to help support and train Afghan forces, don't trust their Afghan counterparts, it's hard to imagine that our support will be very effective."

Major Taylor served as mayor of North Ogden's 17,000 residents since 2013. He also served more than a decade as an officer in the National Guard, including seven years on active duty. He previously served two tours in the Iraq War and one in Afghanistan.

Taylor began another one-year tour in Afghanistan in January. Local police gave him a police escort on the day he left, and hundreds of residents lined the streets to pay him homage, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. He watched on Skype as his youngest daughter learned to walk. In September, he wished his "rock star" wife a happy 15th anniversary on Facebook.

Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox called Taylor's death "devastating".

"I hate this. I’m struggling for words," Cox said in a Facebook post. "I love Mayor Taylor, his amazing wife Jennie and his seven sweet kids. Utah weeps for them today." 

Taylor, a doctoral candidate in international relations at the University of Utah, frequently posted photos from the war zone on social media. He was consistently upbeat, even noting in an April post that "I absolutely love the dedicated US and Afghan soldiers I serve with every day. The dedication of the Afghan soldiers is especially inspiring."

His most recent post, Oct. 28, expressed admiration for millions of Afghans who braved threats and attacks to vote in parliamentary elections last month. 

"As the USA gets ready to vote in our own election next week, I hope everyone back home exercises their precious right to vote," he said. "And that whether the Republicans or the Democrats win, that we all remember that we have far more as Americans that unites us than divides us. ... God Bless America."

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called Taylor a "hero, a wonderful father and a dear friend." Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said he was "heartbroken."

"This is a sad day for Utah, for America," Herbert said. "He was the personification of love of God, family and country."

Cox and, referring to Taylor's elections Facebook post, asked Utah residents to honor the mayor by voting on Tuesday.

"This war has once again cost us the best blood of a generation," Cox said. "Thank you for your sacrifice, my friend."

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11-year-old shoots grandmother, kills self after refusing to clean his room, police say

PHOENIX — An 11-year-old boy in Arizona fatally shot his grandmother before turning the gun on himself after refusing to clean his room Saturday, officials said. 

Yvonne Woodard, 65, and her husband lived with their grandson in a home in the Phoenix suburb of Litchfield Park, according to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez. 

The grandfather told detectives they had asked their grandson to clean his room, but he was being stubborn about it.

The couple were sitting on the couch watching TV together when the grandson came up behind his grandmother and shot her in the back of the head, Enriquez said.

The grandfather first ran after the grandson before returning to help his wife. He then heard gunshots as his grandson shot himself.

Enriquez said the gun belonged to the grandfather. Investigators have yet to find anything that would indicate the grandson wanted to hurt himself or others before the shooting. 

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President Trump: Democrats will take 'a wrecking ball' to American progress if they win control in Congress

Perez said Trump wants to "change the subject" because Republicans are "hemorrhaging (votes) on health care."

                  Trump took Air Force One to Tennessee on behalf of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, who is now running for a Senate seat. She faces a close race against Democrat Phil Bredesen, the state's former governor. The winner replaces retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

Despite the emphasis on U.S. House and Senate races, Trump traveled to Georgia to speak out on a governor's race, as GOP candidate Brian Kemp faces a tough battle against Democrat Stacey Abrams.

Echoing attacks he has made on Democratic candidates for Congress, Trump accused Abrams of being an "extreme far-left politician" who is eager to raise taxes, welcome "illegal aliens" to Georgia, and take away people's guns. He has also described Abrams, an African-American woman, as unqualified for the Georgia governor's job.

Asked about Trump's criticisms during NBC's "Meet The Press," Abrams said she is a business owner, tax attorney, and former state legislative leader, and, "I find his assessments to be vapid and shallow."

Promoting his own record, Trump made references to his re-election bid during the rally at Macon. At one point, supporters in Georgia began chanting, "Six more years! Six more years!"

Before leaving the White House for Georgia and Tennessee, Trump – who on Friday questioned whether Republicans would be able to keep control of the U.S. House – expressed more optimism while chatting with reporters.

"I think we're going to do well in the House," Trump said, though he added his "primary focus" has been retaining Republican control of the Senate.

During the rally in Tennessee, Trump predicted success in House and Senate races but told his supporters: "Who knows, right? Who knows? You've got to get out and vote."

Citing an example of the stakes in Tuesday's election, Trump said his hopes for a middle-class tax cut might vanish if Democrats win the House or the Senate. "We've got to win Congress because the Democrats won't be doing that," Trump said.

Privately, White House officials have also said that a Democratic congressional victory would mean a slew of investigations on items ranging from Trump's taxes to alleged collusion with Russian hackers during the 2016 election.

In rally after rally over recent weeks, Trump has viciously attacked Democrats, accusing them of wanting to bring "socialism" to the economy, of seeking to ruin the heath care system, and of backing "open borders" to make it easier for "criminals"  to enter the country.

"They will try to erase our gains and eradicate our progress," Trump said during an an appearance Friday in Huntington, West Virginia.

It was during that same appearance that Trump acknowledged the possibility that Democrats may win the House.

"It could happen ... could happen," Trump told supporters at an airport rally in Huntington, West Virginia, adding that they shouldn't be fearful if the Democrats prevail.

"Don't worry about it – I'll just figure it out," Trump said.

After Georgia and Tennessee on Sunday, Trump wraps up his personal campaigning Monday with stops in states with Senate races: Cleveland, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

That last event is scheduled to include appearances by Fox News host Sean Hannity and radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, a native of Cape Girardeau.

Before that tour, on Monday morning, Trump plans to conduct a "telephone town hall" designed "to appeal to voters in critical districts and states, many of which were first-time voters or returned to the polls for the first time in years in 2016," said a statement from the president's 2020 re-election campaign.

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Kavanaugh won't make traditional walk down court steps due to security concerns

Justice Brett Kavanaugh will not participate in the tradition of walking down the marble steps in front of the Supreme Court following his formal investiture ceremony next Thursday, the Supreme Court announced, citing security reasons.

Kavanaugh, who has served since being confirmed early last month, will have his formal investiture ceremony, which has often been followed by a walk -- and photo opportunity -- on the front steps with the chief justice, in this case John Roberts.But Kavanaugh won't make the walk "out of an abundance of caution due to security concerns," Supreme Court spokesperson Kathleen Arberg said Friday.

Both Kavanaugh and California professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford have received a slew of death threats after Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her while they were in high school, and detailed her allegation during a testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Kavanaugh denied any wrongdoing and was confirmed to the court in October after a week-long FBI investigation into the allegations made by Ford and other women.

"What happened to the Kavanaugh family violates every notion of fairness, decency and due process," said President Donald Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct himself, during Kavnanaugh's ceremonial swearing-in last month.

People "must always be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty," the President continued.

The tradition of walking down the Supreme Court steps after a formal investiture ceremony -- usually done alongside the court's chief justice -- began in the 1950s, but not all justices have participated in the tradition.

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