ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Back-to-back earthquakes measuring 7.0 and 5.8 rocked buildings and shattered roads Friday morning in Anchorage, sending people running into the streets and briefly triggering a warning to residents in Kodiak to flee to higher ground for fear of a tsunami.

APD is operational after massive earthquake; Call 911 for emergencies only; Many roads & bridges closed; Click link https://t.co/pOeOywBnO9

— Anchorage Police Department (@APDInfo) November 30, 2018

The tsunami warning was lifted without incident a short time later. There were no immediate reports of any deaths or serious injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first and more powerful quake was centered about 7 miles (12 kilometers) north of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, with a population of about 300,000. People ran from their offices or took cover under desks.

Cracks could be seen in a two-story downtown Anchorage building, and photographs posted to social media showed fractured roads, as well as fallen ceiling tiles at an Anchorage high school. A large section of an overpass near the Anchorage airport collapsed, marooning a car on a narrow island of pavement next to where the road gave way.

The quake also disrupted electrical service and knocked out traffic lights in Anchorage, snarling traffic.

Cereal boxes and packages of batteries littered the floor of a grocery store, and picture frames and mirrors were knocked from living room walls.

People went back inside after the first earthquake struck, but the 5.8 aftershock about five minutes later sent them running back into the streets.

A tsunami warning was issued for the southern Alaska coastal areas of Cook’s Inlet and part of the Kenai peninsula. Kodiak police on Kodiak Island warned people in the city of 6,100 to “evacuate to higher ground immediately” because of “wave estimated 10 minutes.”

Michael Burgy, a senior technician with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the tsunami warning was automatically generated based on the quake’s size and proximity to shore. Scientists monitored gauges to see if the quake generated big waves. Because there were none, they canceled the warning.

In Kenai, southwest of Anchorage, Brandon Slaton was alone at home and soaking in the bathtub when the earthquake struck. Slaton, who weighs 209 pounds, said it created a powerful back-and-forth sloshing in the bath, and before he knew it, he was thrown out of the tub by the waves.

His 120-pound mastiff panicked and tried to run down the stairs, but the house was swaying so much that the dog was thrown off its feet and into a wall and tumbled to the base of the stairs, Slaton said.

Slaton ran into his son’s room after the shaking stopped and found his fish tank shattered and the fish on the floor, gasping for breath. He grabbed it and put it in another bowl.

“It was anarchy,” he said. “There’s no pictures left on the walls, there’s no power, there’s no fish tank left. Everything that’s not tied down is broke.”

Alaska averages 40,000 earthquakes per year, with more large quakes than the 49 other states combined. Southern Alaska has a high risk of earthquakes because of tectonic plates sliding past each other under the region.

Alaska has been hit by a number of powerful quakes over 7.0 magnitude in recent decades, including a 7.9 that hit last January southeast of Kodiak Island. But it is rare for a quake this big to strike so close such a heavily populated area.

David Harper was getting some coffee at a store when the low rumble began and intensified into something that sounded “like the building was just going to fall apart.” Harper ran to the exit with other patrons there.

“The main thought that was going through my head as I was trying to get out the door was, ‘I want this to stop,'” he said. Harper said the quake was “significant enough that the people who were outside were actively hugging each other. You could tell that it was a bad one.”

On March 27, 1964, Alaska was hit by a 9.2 earthquake, the strongest recorded in U.S. history, centered about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Anchorage. The quake, which lasted about 4½ minutes, and the tsunami it triggered claimed about 130 lives.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating a drive-by shooting that injured a 3-year-old boy.

Police Chief Terry Zeigler says the boy was riding in a car Thursday night when shots were fired at the car from a passing vehicle.

Ziegler says the boy was hit in the arm and is in stable condition.

Police did not release a description of the suspect vehicle.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – A Kansas City man has been charged with fatally shooting a suspected car thief at a gas station.

Twenty-four-year-old DeAndre Simms was charged Thursday with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Keith Michael. He’s jailed on $100,000 bond. No attorney is listed for him in online court records.

Court records say Simms told police he parked his 2018 Volkswagen Jetta at the gas station and left it running while he went inside. He said he was defending his property when he shot at a person who was getting into his car. Simms said he called 911 afterward and waited for offices to arrive.

The shooting was captured on surveillance video. Simms told police he didn’t know the victim and didn’t see him with any weapons.

Hotel says as many as 500 million guests could have been compromised

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — The information of as many as 500 million guests at Starwood hotels has been compromised and Marriott said that it’s discovered that unauthorized access to data within its Starwood network has been taking place since 2014.It could be among the largest data breaches on record.

The company said Friday that credit card numbers and expiration dates of some guests may have been taken. For as many as two-thirds of those affected, data exposed could include mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number, Starwood Preferred Guest account information, date of birth, gender, arrival and departure information, reservation date and communication preferences.

For some guests, the information was limited to name and sometimes other data such as mailing address, email address or other information.

“We fell short of what our guests deserve and what we expect of ourselves,” CEO Arne Sorenson said in a prepared statement. “We are doing everything we can to support our guests, and using lessons learned to be better moving forward.”

Email notifications to those who may have been affected will begin rolling out Friday.
While the breach affected “approximately 500 million guests” who made a reservation at a Starwood hotel, some of those records could include a single person who booked multiple stays.

The company manages more than 6,700 properties across the globe.

While the first impulse for those potentially affected by the breach could be to check credit cards, security experts say other information in the database could be more damaging.

“The names, addresses, passport numbers and other sensitive personal information that was exposed is of greater concern than the payment info, which was encrypted,” said analyst Ted Rossman of CreditCards.com. “People should be concerned that criminals could use this info to open fraudulent accounts in their names.”

When the merger was announced in 2015, Marriott had 54 million members of its loyalty program and Starwood had 21 million. Many people were members in both programs.

Asked for more details on the 500 million number, Marriott spokesman Jeff Flaherty said Friday that the company has not finished identifying duplicate information in the database.
An internal security tool signaled a potential breach in early September, but the company was unable to decrypt the information that would define what data had potentially been exposed until last week.

Marriott said in a regulatory filing that it’s premature to estimate what financial impact the data breach will have on the company. It noted that it does have cyber insurance, and is working with its insurance carriers to assess coverage.

The Starwood breach stands out among even the largest security hacks on record. Hilton had two separate data breaches that exposed more than 350,000 credit card numbers. One breach began in November 2014 and another in April 2015. Yahoo had a data breaches in 2013 and 2014 that impacted about 3 billion of its accounts. Target also had an incident in 2013 that affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts and exposed contact information for more than 60 million customers. Last year, Equifax disclosed a data breach that affected more than 145 million people.

The former Starwood brands now under the Marriott umbrella include W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels. Starwood branded timeshare properties are also included.

Marriott has had a rocky process of merging its computer system with Starwood computers. Members of both loyalty programs have complained about missing points, glitches with stays crediting to their accounts and problems with free nights earned from credit cards not appearing.

Sorenson said that Marriott is still trying to phase out Starwood systems.

Marriott has set up a website and call center for anyone who thinks that they are at risk.
Shares of Marriott tumbled 5 percent at the opening bell.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Donald Trump joined the leaders of Canada and Mexico at a global meeting in Argentina on Friday to sign a revised North American trade pact that he called “groundbreaking” and a benefit for “working people.”

President Trump Participates in the USMCA Signing Ceremony https://t.co/ITeDQ39ZrN

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) November 30, 2018

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is meant to replace the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has long denigrated as a “disaster.”

He appeared with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto at the Group of 20 nations summit in Buenos Aires for the formal signing ceremony. Each country’s legislature must also approve the agreement.

“It’s been long and hard. We’ve taken a lot of barbs and a little abuse, but we got there,” Trump said of the pact.

Legislative approval is the next step in the process, but could prove to be a difficult task in the United States, especially now that Democrats — instead of Trump’s Republicans — will control the House of Representatives come January. Already Democrats and their allies in the labor movement are demanding changes to the agreement.

While Trump hailed the revised trade pact, Trudeau was more measured, saying there was still work to be done and calling on Trump — using his first name — to remove steel and aluminum tariffs the U.S. imposed on Canada and Mexico. Trudeau also referenced recent downsizing by General Motors in North America as a “heavy blow.” Trump did not mention the job losses.

The signing came at the front end of two days of tough diplomacy for Trump. On the top of his agenda is a Saturday dinner meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping. which will determine if the two can ease escalating trade tensions. Before Trump arrived in Argentina he injected additional drama into the proceedings by canceling another high-stakes meeting, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Friday, Trump opened the day with a cordial meeting at the Casa Rosada with Argentine President Mauricio Macri, a longtime business acquaintance. Posing for photos in the gilded Salón Blanco, Trump spoke about their longtime personal relationship and said they would discuss trade, military purchases and other issues.

“We’ve known each other a long while,” Trump said, noting he worked with Macri’s father on real estate developments. The businessman-turned-politician joked that when he and Macri first met they’d never have imagined their future roles on the world stage.

Macri is hosting the summit as he struggles with problems at home. He is trying to halt economic turmoil that has caused the steep depreciation of the Argentine peso.

Trump, who arrived in Buenos Aires late Thursday, barreled into the two-day meeting by announcing via Twitter that he was canceling a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian vessels. His agenda for the weekend includes meetings with world leaders, as well as a number of heavily choreographed group activities for the gathering of leaders of rich and developing nations.

Trump faces a series of diplomatic challenges over the weekend, most notably whether he can strike an agreement with Xi.

The president canceled on Putin not long after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, revealed he had lied to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating a real estate deal in Moscow on Trump’s behalf during the Republican presidential primary in 2016. The news ensured any meeting with Putin would have put a spotlight on the special counsel’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow during the campaign. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

Trump showed that the Russia investigation was testing his ability to stay focused on summit business after he blasted the investigation in a fresh tweet on Friday, again calling it a “Witch Hunt!”

One looming question is whether Trump will have a run-in with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman amid global dismay over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that the Saudi crown prince must have at least known of the plot to kill Khashoggi, who was critical of the Saudi royal family. Lawmakers in both parties have called on Trump to at least avoid the young heir apparent as punishment.

But Trump publicly announced his decision to effectively give the prince a pass in the name of “America First,” making vastly exaggerated claims of Saudi military contracts and investments in the United States. The president also views Saudi Arabia as a vital counterbalance to Iranian influence in the Middle East.

Asked Thursday why the two had no meeting scheduled, Trump said: “I would have met with him but we didn’t set that one up.”

With his “America First” approach, general distaste for multinational deals and habit of insulting allies, Trump typically gets a mixed reception at global gatherings.

Trump has slapped tariffs on the European Union, pulled the U.S. out of the landmark Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal and suggested he might be willing to pull the U.S. out of NATO if member countries don’t significantly boost their defense spending.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democrats have picked a Kansas House member to fill Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s former state Senate seat.

Their selection Thursday evening of Democratic state Rep. Vic Miller of Topeka came 34 years after Miller ran unsuccessfully for the same seat.

Miller would not say whether he would run for the seat in 2020.

Democrats in Wichita plan to meet Saturday to fill the former Senate seat belonging to Lt. Gov.-elect Lynn Rogers. Miller said the departure of both Kelly and Rogers from the Senate left Democrats needing someone with legislative experience to replace Kelly.

The 67-year-old Miller served in the House from 1979 through 1984 and lost a Senate race that year. He became a power in local politics and returned to the Kansas House in 2016.

COWLEY COUNTY – One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Thursday in Cowley County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2009 Lincoln MKS driven by Virgina L. Hostetter, 67, Winfield was northbound on 85th Road at 194th Drive.

The car struck the front end of a grain drill on a southbound John Deere tractor driven by Arthur Dewain Davis, 72, Winfieild.

Hostetter was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Miles Funeral Home.

A passenger in the Lincoln Marvin D. Hostetter, 72, Winfield, was transported to the hospital in Winfield. Davis was not injured. The accident remains under investigation.

RENO COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects for alleged drug activities and have made an arrest.

Early Thursday, deputies saw 29-year-old Kirk Anthony Surdi   arriving at the Sunflower Motel, 322 E 4th Ave, in Hutchinson.

Deputies took him into custody on an arrest and detain order through State Parole, according to Sgt. Corey Graber.

While parole was searching the room, where Surdi was living  with his wife 29-year-old Michelle Nicole Surdi, they located a pill bottle containing methamphetamine.

When she was placed in custody for possession of meth she was found in possession of 56.7 grams of methamphetamine hidden on her person.

Authorities also found a working digital scale in the motel room.

Michelle was booked for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of paraphernalia with intent to distribute. Her bond is $27,500.

Kirk was booked for the arrest and detain and has no bond. He has previous convictions for indecent liberties with a child, theft and burglary, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. He had been released from prison in August.

 

GREENWOOD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities reported late Thursday they have identified the child found at the Beaumont rest area on Thursday in Greenwood County. The

Greenwood County Sheriff’s Department reported on social media they are in the process of contacting family members or a guardian. They released no additional details.

GREENWOOD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to determine the identify of a man found Thursday morning in Greenwood County.

According to a social media report from the Greenwood County Sheriff, they found a man near the Beaumont rest area on U.S. 400 just after 6a.m. Thursday. The man is described a approximately 6-foot tall, 220 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Greenwood County authorities 620- 583-5568

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man accused of threatening to “blow up” the White House has notified the court he plans to change his plea.

A court filing Thursday shows a change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14 for 32-year-old Brandon Koss of Wichita.

He had pleaded not guilty to charge of making a threat against the president, and later notified the court he intended to present at his trial an expert testifying Koss had an unspecified mental disease.

A Secret Service agent wrote in an affidavit that Koss called the White House in January, used a profanity when addressing the woman who answered the phone, and said: “I’m going to blow up the White House.”

The affidavit says Koss admitted calling the White House but denied making a threat.

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas man was sentenced today to pay a $5,000 fine for unlawfully importing endangered leopard cats, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

The leopard cat is a small wild cat native to Asia. It is considered as an endangered species under federal law.

Lawrence E. Payne, 34, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Endangered Species Act.

The investigation began when Payne applied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a breeding license for Asian leopard cats. When investigators served a search warrant at Payne’s home, they found three Asian leopard cats. Payne admitted importing the animals.

TOPEKA — Gov.-elect Laura Kelly says she will not follow former Gov. Sam Brownback’s method of selecting appellate court judges.

Kelly will need to appoint a new Kansas Court of Appeals judge soon after she takes office in January because Judge Patrick McAnany is retiring.

According to a media release from her transition team, Kelly will have a nonpartisan nominating committee filter the applications and send her a list of three candidates.

That is similar to the procedure used before Brownback changed it to allow him to make judicial appointments directly, subject to Senate confirmation.

Kelly said in a statement Wednesday that she will use the merit-based process similar to that used for Kansas Supreme Court appointments. She said she believes that makes the process more transparent for the public.

Firearms deer season is open in Kansas. On Thursday, Game Wardens with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks used social media to alert hunters to the danger of placing a tree stand on a power poll.