Jet crash kills 2 airmen in Oklahoma
ENID, Okla. -- Two airmen were killed Thursday in an accident involving two jets at an Air Force base in northwestern Oklahoma, military officials said.
Vance Air Force Base said in a news release that two T-38 Talons, each with two people aboard, were taking part in a training mission when the crash occurred shortly after 9 a.m.
The military hasn't released the conditions of the others involved or the names of the deceased.
"All we can disclose is that there are two fatalities as a result of the crash," said Airman Zoe Perkins with the base's public affairs office.
An Air Force team will investigate the crash, Perkins said.
TV footage from the scene showed one aircraft upside down on grass near a runway and the second aircraft upright on the runway.
The base in Enid, about 65 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, says on its website that the T-38 Talon is a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet used in a variety of jet pilot training roles.
The crash is the second incident involving a T-38 training jet in Oklahoma in the past 15 months. A pilot ejected in August, 2018, after his jet developed engine trouble and crashed about 70 miles west of the base.
Bloomberg creates campaign committee
WASHINGTON -- New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg has taken another step toward a bid to become the Democratic nominee for president.
The former New York City mayor, who became a Democrat just last year, filed paperwork Thursday with the Federal Election Commission to formally create a presidential campaign committee. The move legally allows him to begin raising and spending money on a 2020 campaign, although his team says he's yet to make a final decision.
Bloomberg's team says he's stepping toward a run because of the perceived weakness at the top of the current Democratic field.
Bloomberg, 77, is one of the richest people in the world. His estimated net worth exceeds $50 billion, and he's already committed to spending more than $100 million to help defeat President Donald Trump in 2020 whether he runs or not.
Bloomberg's wealth, his ties to Wall Street, and his status as a former Republican could make it difficult for him to win support among traditional Democratic primary voters. His advisers are charting a strategy that calls for him to bypass the first four states on the primary calendar and make an aggressive play for the so-called Super Tuesday states that vote in early March.
Before Thursday's federal filing, he had already filed paperwork to qualify for presidential primary ballots in three states, including Arkansas.
Teen dies in N.J. rental-scooter accident
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- A 16-year-old boy became the first person killed while riding a rented electric scooter in New Jersey when he collided Wednesday night with a tow truck in Elizabeth.
The boy, identified by a city official as Nelson Miranda Gomez, was riding one of 150 Lime scooters that were made available for public rental in Elizabeth just three weeks ago, according to the city's mayor, J. Christian Bollwage.
The mayor said a large tow truck was making a right turn from Elizabeth Avenue onto Spring Street at 8:05 p.m. when it struck Gomez, who died shortly after the collision.
Even as public scooter programs have become increasingly popular across the country, deaths are still relatively rare.
While the minimum legal age for riding a scooter in Elizabeth is 18, they are available throughout the city and can be unlocked by anybody with a smartphone.
The mayor said that the City Council will discuss potential changes to the scooter program.
No school-voucher tax, Tennessee says
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Reversing course, Tennessee's Department of Education said it is aiming to ensure state school vouchers won't be taxable.
Department spokesman Jennifer Johnson said Wednesday the law's intent is for the vouchers to be considered scholarships not subject to taxation, and the department intends to structure the program accordingly.
Officials aim to resolve confusion after Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said Monday that her understanding was voucher payments were taxable. A lawmaker had asked if the payments need to be reported on parents' federal income tax filings.
On Tuesday, Johnson said Schwinn meant to discuss the program's possible "filing and issuance of federal information reporting returns."
Participating families cannot exceed twice the federal income eligibility for free school lunch to receive vouchers worth up to $7,300 annually for private education.
A Section on 11/22/2019