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Hurricane Sandy pulled away from the Bahamas on Saturday after killing at least 41 people in the Caribbean, beginning a slow march toward the U.S. East Coast where it threatens to hit as one of the worst storms in decades.

The late-season storm has been dubbed "Frankenstorm" by some weather watchers because it will combine elements of a tropical cyclone and a winter storm. Forecast models show it will have all the ingredients to morph into a massive and potentially catastrophic "super storm."

Governors in states along the U.S. East Coast declared states of emergency on Friday, and officials urged residents to stock up on food, water and batteries in the event the storm develops as forecast.

The U.S. Navy ordered all ships in the Norfolk, Virginia, area, including a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, out to sea to ride out the approaching storm.

In a recent CNN interview with anchorman Peirs Morgan, John Sununu of New Hampshire accused Colin Powell of supporting the incumbent president because of race. 

At the height of an election that has been characterized as among the most racially polarizing in years, top Mitt Romney surrogate John Sununu on Thursday suggested that Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State under George W. Bush, endorsed President Obama in part due to race.

New Hampshire and the co-chair of the Romney campaign, downplayed the significance of the endorsement to CNN's Piers Morgan, and suggested Powell, a Republican who also endorsed Mr. Obama in 2008, had a "slightly different reason" for doing so than other prominent politicians.

President Barack Obama today returned to the South Side and cast an early vote near his Kenwood home.

While at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Bronzeville, Obama bantered with the election judge when he presented his ID.

"Now ignore the fact that there's no gray hair on that picture," the Democratic president told the elections official. He added: "I'm just glad I renewed my driver's license."

Obama then made a pitch for early voting that was clearly aimed at voters in states where the outcome will be tighter than in his home state.

“For all of you who have not yet early voted, I just want everybody to see what an incredibly efficient process this was thanks to the outstanding folks who are at this particular polling place," the president said. "Obviously, folks in Illinois can take advantage of this. But all across the country we’re seeing a lot of early voting."

A mother of three came home to the prestigious upper West Side in Manhattan to find her two youngest children dead in a bathtub and the nanny bleeding out on the floor with a knife in her hand. 

The nanny, whose name was not released, was arrested as soon as the police arrived, according to law enforcement officials. She was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was in serious condition and was not expected to live.

The mother arrived at the apartment a block from Central Park at 57 West 75th Street around 5:30 p.m. with a third child, the authorities said, and confronted the horrific scene.

SUGAR LAND, Texas, Oct. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arabian American Development Co. (NYSE: ARSD) announced today that a conference call will be held on October 30, 2012, to discuss 2012 third quarter financial results.  A webcast accompanied by presentation slides may be viewed at: http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=102256

The conference call and live webcast will take place at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Tuesday, October 30, 2012. Anyone interested in participating should call 1-877-941-8416 if calling within the United States or 1-480-629-9808 if calling internationally. Playback will be available until November 6, 2012. To listen to the playback, please call 1-877-870-5176 if calling within the United States or 1-858-384-5517 if calling internationally. Use pin number 4572526  for the replay.

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters joined state and local leaders Wednesday to celebrate the opening of State Highway 130 Segments 5 and 6, weeks ahead of schedule.

The new roadway spans approximately 41 miles from Mustang Ridge to I-10 in Seguin, and was also designated as the Pickle Parkway by the Texas Legislature in 2007 in honor of Congressman J.J. "Jake" Pickle. With this new road, motorists can travel 90 miles of toll road and bypass I-35 congestion between Seguin and Georgetown for about $12.

"SH 130 is an outstanding highway and a great example of how transportation solutions can be realized when government and the private sector work together on behalf of all Texans," said Ted Houghton, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission. "Commuters and business people traveling through Central Texas no longer have to deal with congestion and best of all; taxpayers did not get the bill."

Lance Armstrong has been officially stripped of his titles by the International Cycling Union, or UCI.  The UCI is cycling’s governing body, and was prompted to take action following a scathing report by the U.S. ant doping authorities that accused him of being at the center of a massive team doping scheme. 

The UCI said it accepted the findings and punishments handed out by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency which included stripping the 41-year-old cancer survivor of all results dating back to Aug. 1, 1998, including his record run of seven Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005, and banned him from competitive cycling foThe USADA report, released Oct. 10, is a 1,000-plus-page document which shows, the agency says, that Armstrong took part in a doping scheme on his way to his unrivaled success on the Tour from 1999 to 2005.

A 6 month-old manhunt ended today without bloodshed.  Noe Aranada was captured by a syndicate of law enforcement officials’ including the Houston Police Department’s SWAT team and the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force.

You remember this guy from a story covered last week when a woman was shot and thrown out of a moving car with an estimated speed of 100 mph on I-10.    Authorities found him holed up in a house in NW Harris County Thursday. 

He was accompanied by more than a dozen suspected illegals.

Arnanda shot two women last week inside a car on I-10 One of the women jumped from the car and survived. The other victim was thrown onto the Katy Freeway and hit by several passing cars. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Harris County Sherriff’s Deputy has shot a north Houston man to death.  Deputies were called out around 9pm to a home on Analisa circle to serve a warrant to Gerrit Perkins for assaulting a famiy member.

Three deputies arrived at the home and gained access through Perkins girlfriend and began conducting a search.  According to authorities, “One of the deputies found the suspect hiding in a closet on the first floor. The deputy instructed the suspect on numerous times to show his hands," said Christina Garza with the Harris County Sheriff's Office. "The suspect suddenly makes a movement toward our deputy. The deputy, in fear of his life, shoots his weapon once, striking the suspect."

Perkin was taken to North Cypress Medical Center, where he later died.

BY: N. Tru Bass♦

President Barack Obama brought the fight Tuesday Night for the second presidential debate of this election cycle versus Mitt Romney.  At times during the debate it felt a little like a couple of salesmen had invaded my living room through my Television.

The two presidential candidates with chests up challenged each other like school boys trying to impress a pretty girl. 

The debate moderated by CNN’s Candy Crawley, featured questions from the audience of undecided likely voters at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY.   Questions ranged from Women’s issues to gun control. 

The tone was established early in the debate, when a woman in the audience asked Romney to specify the tax deductions he would eliminate to pay for the tax rate reductions he has promised. As he has in the past, Romney raised the possibility of an overall cap: “I’ll pick a number — $25,000 of deductions and credits, and you can decide which ones to use.”