Photo: Getty The federal government has launched an investigation after a Missouri hospital allegedly denied abortion services during a medical emergency. In October, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services launched an investigation after doctors at Freeman Hospital West in Joplin, Missouri denied abortion services to a woman, violating the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, according toKaiser Health News. The investigation involves 41-year-old Mylissa Farmer, whose water broke at nearly 18 weeks pregnant, causing bleeding and cramping, the outlet reports....

Desilynn Smith (right) with her late husband, Hamid Abd-Al-Jabbar.Photo: courtesy desilynn Smith In a reversal of historical trends, Black drug users now overdose at a higher rate than whites who die from drugs in a majority of U.S. states, according to the CDC. In 2020, the most recent year for which numbers are available from the CDC, overdose deaths among African Americans rose nearly 55 percent from the year prior, while for whites the rate of increase was 31 percent....

Linda Collins and Rebecca O’Donnell.Photo: Facebook A friend who helped slain formerArkansas State Senator Linda Collinswith her most recent campaign was charged with capital murder — but the suspect’s fiancé says that there’s “not a chance” that she is responsible. Collins, 57, was found dead of a gunshot wound outside of her Pocahontas, Arkansas, home on June 4. Her body had been wrapped in a blanket. Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, 48,was arrested last week....

Photo: J. Kiely Jr./Lightchaser Photography After months of waiting for the right donor, the first African American man to undergo a full face transplant is recovering from a successful procedure. Robert Chelsea, 68, finally underwent the surgery in July, after a year and a half on the face transplant list. He was first offered a donor face in May 2018, but the skin tone was so much lighter than his own that he was hesitant to accept it....

Photo:Universal Orlando Universal Orlando Universal Orlando has shared a glimpse of the second offive lands plannedfor its highly anticipated new park, Epic Universe, opening in 2025. How to Train Your Dragon— Isle of Berk is based on the beloved Dreamworks trilogy and will feature three new rides, a live show, an interactive play area, meet-and-greets and plenty of Viking approved food, drinks and merchandise. The Isle of Berk will be accessed via a portal from Epic Universe’s central Celestial Park that will transport guests to a magical setting instantly recognizable from the movies....

Wilmer Valderramais looking to make some changes tohis family’s home— with the help of a famous friend. On Friday’s premiere episode ofHollywood HouseliftwithJeff Lewis(streaming on Amazon Freevee), theNCISstar invites viewers behind the scenes of his home renovation. Jeff Lewis, Wilmer Valderrama.Santiago Felipe/Getty; David Livingston/Getty Leading theFlipping Outalumaround the property, Valderrama shares, “I like to feel like the room is timeless, I definitely tend to be a little bit more festive when it comes to some of my decisions....

Photo: Harry How/GettyThefirst-ever male NFL cheerleadersare heading to the Super Bowl.Aftermaking historyat the start of the season in 2018, Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies are about to become the first male cheerleaders to ever perform at a Super Bowl.The Los Angeles Rams secured their spot at Super Bowl LIII in a win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday — winning 26-23. They took the lead with anovertime field goal.After the victory, both Peron and Jinnies used Twitter to confirm their upcoming historic moment and share their excitement....

Photo: AAP Animal Advocacy and Protection Though the tigers — Antonella, Natasha, Zoppa, Girona and Mondo — have quite the road trip ahead of them, from Southeast Spain to the Isle of Wight Zoo in the English Channel, the journey will hopefully be their last as traveling circus animals. In a release from AAP, CEO David van Gennep explains, “Moving five big cats from Alicante to the Isle of Wight is a massive logistical operation, and one that has to be done with the highest animal welfare and security standards....

Photo: Joe Raedle/GettyThe official death toll from thepartial collapseof the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Florida, has now risen to 24 as more victims from the tragic incident have been located.On Saturday morning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that two more victims were pulled from the scene of the incident on Friday night.“The number of confirmed victims now stands at 24,” Levine Cava said in apress conference. “… The numbers are fluid and will continue to change....

Photo: FacebookA Florida mother of five is dead after her husband allegedly shot her to death in their Liberty City home Sunday night.Miami-Dade police said that at about 8:51 p.m., officers responding to a 911 call about a shooting saw two menrunning from a residence, according to theMiami Herald. The men told police there were two children still inside along with Shanica Harris and husband Eddie Harris, who had a rifle....

Joseph L. Davis.Photo: Volusia Sherriff’s Office/ Facebook A Florida man is accused of proposing to a woman using the engagement ring and wedding band he stole from another woman he was dating. According to arelease from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, Joseph L. Davis, 48, allegedly used the name “Joe Brown” with one of the women and “Marcus Brown” with the other. Davis is currently at large and wanted on theft charges, the release states....

Chelsea Nicole Thompson.Photo: Chelsea Nicole Thompson Facebook The Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office was summoned to a hospital on Nov. 10, where Thompson died from her injuries. According to the warrant, Lannon — who has been charged with felony aggravated battery and kidnapping, and remains in custody without bond — showed up unannounced at the friend’s residence on the day after Thompson’s killing. The suspect allegedly told the friend he “was in serious trouble,” saying he’d confronted Thompson after believing she’d stolen from him....

A mom whose 7-year-old son had an asthma attack after eating candy from a mall kiosk is warning other parents about the dangers of the treat.Racheal Richard McKenny of St. Augustine, Florida, posted on Facebook that her son Johnny had a terrifying reaction to “Dragon’s Breath” — a liquid nitrogen-coated cereal-like candy that makes smoke come out of a user’s nose and mouth — after trying it last week at The Avenues mall in Jacksonville, Florida....