Florida braces for direct hit from Hurricane Matthew | The daily briefing

NSA contractor charged with theft of computer source code

A National Security Agency contractor has been arrested and charged with the theft of government property and unauthorized removal and retention of classified materials. Harold Hal Martin, 51, of Glen Burnie, was detained last month over stolen documents that if disclosed could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the US, the justice department claimed. According to the New York Times, Martin is suspected of taking the source code developed by the agency to break into computer systems of adversaries like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. Martins lawyers said there is no evidence that Hal Martin intended to betray his country.

NSA contractor arrested for alleged theft of top secret classified information

Clinton and Trump get back to sparring

Tuesdays televised vice-presidential debate between Tim Kaine and Mike Pence was quickly forgotten on Wednesday as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton got back to the business of criticizing each other. In Nevada, Trump claimed Pences success proved he has good taste in people. Im getting a lot of credit, because thats really my first so-called choice, thats really my first hire, and I tell you, hes a good one, said Trump. Clinton, meanwhile, said: Pence just bobbed and weaved and tried to get out of the way because after all, trying to defend Donald Trump is an impossible task. The presidential hopefuls will meet in their second debate on Sunday. Meanwhile two prominent Fox News hosts, Megyn Kelly and Sean Hannity, have locked horns over Donald Trump.

Trump and Clinton return to center stage after lackluster VP debate

Atlantic City may be forced into state takeover of water

Atlantic City may be forced by New Jersey into an unprecedented state takeover of its water as the result of a bailout, something experts have warned has worrying echoes of the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan, and could result in price hikes. The near-bankruptcy of the financially ailing resort town was caused in part by the failures of casinos such as those previously owned by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Two casinos under Trumps control stand accused of being more than $146,000 behind on their water bills.

Flint warnings as Atlantic City may be forced into state takeover of water

The leaning tower of San Francisco

San Franciscos Millennium Tower, the tallest reinforced concrete structure in the western US, has sunk 16 inches since its completion in 2008, and has tilted at least two inches toward the northwest. The severity of the decline has set off a round of lawsuits, government inquiries, and recriminations that could last for years. The only thing that comes close is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, says Steven Blum, one of the attorneys representing Millennium residents in a class action lawsuit. But thats a joke. There is nothing like this.

The curious case of San Franciscos leaning tower: There is nothing like this

NRA faces defeat in Maine background check referendum

As Hillary Clinton makes history while openly campaigning for gun law reform, the NRA faces possible defeat in a Maine referendum. In the latest installment of our Anywhere but Washington series, Paul Lewis and Tom Silverstone travel to Maine, where a push for universal background checks is being bankrolled by former New York mayor and anti-gun advocate Michael Bloomberg.