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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says Russia has a direct hand in a new offensive by pro-Russia separatists in Ukraine. The State Department says Russian forces are being sent 30 miles inside Ukraine. A spokeswoman cited reports of burials in Russia for troops who have died in Ukraine and wounded Russian soldiers being treated in a St. Petersburg hospital.
BEIRUT (AP) — The mother of a hostage American journalist has pleaded for his release in a video directed at the Islamic State group. Islamic State has threatened to kill Steven Sotloff unless the U.S. halts its airstrikes against it. Shirley Sotloff's plea came as a U.N. commission accused the group of committing crimes against humanity. In Washington, President Barack Obama is weighing options for targeting the extremists' stronghold in Syria.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police officials in Omaha, Nebraska, say officers responding to a robbery of a fast-food restaurant shot and killed the suspect and a crew member with the TV show "Cops." The response was being recorded for the program's use. The suspect was armed with a pellet gun that police say appeared and sounded realistic.
NEW YORK (AP) — An accused ringleader of a sprawling disabilities fraud scheme has admitted he helped coach retired New York City police officers and others to fake mental-health problems to get Social Security benefits. Joseph Esposito, a retired police officer, will be sentenced up to 4 ½ years in prison and must pay $734,000 in restitution.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California cornerback Josh Shaw has admitted to lying to school officials about how he sprained his ankles last weekend, retracting his story about jumping off a balcony to save his drowning nephew. He says the story was "a complete fabrication." The school didn't explain how Shaw actually was injured. The story was posted on the school's website.
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