Criminal charges for comedian Cosby are no laughing matter

Posted by Anonymous on December 31, 2015

December 30

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Bill Cosby's already-bad 2015 gets even worse

The total number of women who have publicly claimed Bill Cosby drugged and/or sexually assaulted them sits at nearly 50. Cosby has denied wrongdoing, and most of the accusations are too old to pursue in criminal court. That's not true, however, for a 2004 case in Pennsylvania. Now America's TV dad is facing charges for the first time. At his arraignment Wednesday afternoon, 78-year-old Cosby pleaded not guilty and posted $1 million bail. The case sets the stage for perhaps the biggest celebrity trial of the mobile-news era and could send Cosby to prison in the twilight of his life. Even so, he's not the first celebrity accused in a sexual assault scandal, and he won't be the last. Scandals of all kinds are part of each year's news cycle and 2015 was no exception. Six others worth mentioning: 1. Deflategate dogged the NFL and Tom Brady. 2. "I identify as black" Rachel Dolezal. (You remember.) 3. Brian Williams got in trouble for "clearly ego-driven" misstatements. 4. Jared Fogle, who went from pitchman to pariah. 5. Lamar Odom's life took a strange, sad turn at the Love Ranch. 6. Josh Duggar's multiple sordid bombshells.

Sheryl Sandberg, still grieving, posts heartfelt message on healing

Eight months after the death of her husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg is healing — thanks in large part to leaning in. In a Facebook post published early Wednesday, the 46-year-old detailed how her Lean In Circle — a group of women she’s known since childhood — helped her to “smile again” after her loss. She also explains her New Year's resolutions. Very touching.

Mighty Mississippi shows no mercy for Missouri

"This is not a summer flood. This is dangerous." That's what Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said Wednesday as his state braced for record floods from the raging Mississippi River and its tributaries. Flooding in Missouri and Illinois has killed at least 20 people over several days; 13 in Missouri alone. The rare winter floods are the result of a tumultuous weather system driving deadly tornadoes and flash flooding across the Midwest and South, wreaking havoc for holiday travelers.

We look at the times the photo became the story in 2015

A photo of a lifeless child who washed ashore became a harrowing symbol of the brutal migrant crisis. After the Paris attacks, a simple image of peace went viral. Dramatic footage of a plane tipped sideways before it crashed left us agape. "Call me Caitlyn." The dress that divided and united the Internet. Sometimes photos say more than we ever can with words, and 2015 was true to form. We take a look at 2015's amazing images here. For a full look at the year in photos, swipe through this gallery.

Life's too short to drive a car you hate

Sure, Consumer Reports magazine is known for its annual survey that asks car owners about reliability. But do owners actually love their cars? Or hate 'em? That's the question that the magazine tries to answer in its January issue. So which car is the fave? The Tesla Model S, which is already top rated by Consumer Reports. About 97% of its owners say they would buy the luxury electric car again. As for cars owners disliked the most, it's a mix of cheapo economy cars, models late in their life cycle or those being discontinued.

Contributing: Maria Puente, Jayme Deerwester, Emily Brown, Carol Klino, Keith A. Carter, Jaleesa Jones, Shannon Rae Green, John Bacon, Doug Stanglin, Chis Woodyard, USA TODAY; Mary Bowerman and Jessica Durando, USA TODAY Network; the Associated Press