US woman gets 26 years in prison for helping kill her mother in Bali

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge has sentenced an American woman to 26 years in prison for helping to kill her mother at a luxury resort in Bali then stuffing her body into a suitcase. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly sentenced Heather Mack on Wednesday for conspiring to kill Sheila von Wiese-Mack in 2014 with her then-boyfriend so she could access a $1.5 million trust fund. Prosecutors say Mack covered her mother’s mouth while Tommy Schaefer bludgeoned Wiese-Mack to death with a fruit bowl in a hotel room.

Judge denies request to dismiss case against man charged in chokehold death

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has declined to dismiss the case against a U.S. Marine veteran charged with manslaughter for placing a man in a deadly chokehold aboard a New York City subway train. Daniel Penny has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death last May of Jordan Neely, who witnesses say was shouting and begging for money on the Manhattan train. Penny has said he acted to protect himself and others. His attorneys last year filed a motion seeking dismissal of the case, which was denied in court on Wednesday.

Retail sales up strongly in December

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers in December, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on an upbeat tone and signaling that people remain confident enough to keep spending freely. Retail sales accelerated 0.6% in December from November’s 0.3% increase. Because spending by consumers accounts for nearly 70% of the U.S. economy, the report suggested that shoppers will be able to keep fueling economic growth this year. Among last month’s overall retail purchases, sales at stores that sell general merchandise rose 1.3%. Sellers of clothing and accessories reported a 1.5% increase, as did online sellers.

Federal labor investigators say poultry company’s inaction led to death

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Federal regulators say a Mississippi poultry plant’s failure to follow safety protocols led to the death of a 16-year-old worker who was pulled into a machine last July. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday it found numerous safety violations while investigating the workplace death of the Guatemalan worker at the Mar-Jac Poultry plant in Hattiesburg. Investigators cited Mar-Jac for 17 workplace violations from the accident and gave it 15 business days to contest the findings. Mar-Jac did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.

5 killed when truck hits minivan crashed in left lane of snowy Pennsylvania highway

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state police say five women from New York were killed when a tractor-trailer struck a crashed minivan and people standing outside the vehicle on snowy Interstate 81. Police say the minivan was carrying four women when it became disabled in the left lane in Lackawanna County on Tuesday evening. Two relatives following them in a sedan pulled over on the right shoulder and joined the group. Police said a tractor-trailer then hit the crashed minivan and the group, killing three people standing outside and two more in the minivan. The sedan driver sustained moderate injuries and the truck driver had minor injuries.