Starting March 21, Amtrak will be suspending trains to Burlington and Mount Pleasant as a direct result of “historic” flooding.

Amtrak has detoured its California Zephyr onto Union Pacific Railroad tracks in order to keep trains running between Omaha and Chicago.

They have not released an estimate for when trains will be running in Southeast Iowa again.

Amtrak says the suspensions are due to historic flooding affecting railroad tracks throughout the state.

The suspensions are also affecting other Iowa and Illinois communities, customers can contact Amtrak to change or cancel their train reservations without fees.

“Amtrak will gladly waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 800-USA-RAIL.” 

WASHINGTON — Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a long-awaited report on his investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential...

(CNN) — Tesla is accusing a former employee of stealing intellectual property worth hundreds of millions of dollars and sharing it with a Chinese rival.

The electric car maker filed a lawsuit in the United States on Thursday, alleging that engineer Guangzhi Cao stole key details from Tesla’s self-driving car project and took them to Xiaopeng Motors, a Chinese electric vehicle startup. Elon Musk’s company is seeking damages and to stop Cao from using the information.

Tesla says Cao uploaded complete copies of the company’s self-driving source code to his personal Apple iCloud account. He took more than 300,000 files and directories, according to a complaint filed in US District Court in California.

After accepting a job with Xiaopeng, Cao then deleted 120,000 files from his work computer and disconnected his iCloud account from it, the complaint says. He then repeatedly logged into Tesla’s networks and cleared his browser history before leaving Tesla in early January.

Cao now works at XMotors, Xiaopeng’s US subsidiary.

Xiaopeng said in a statement that it has started an internal investigation but is unaware of any alleged misconduct by Cao, adding that it did not ask him to “misappropriate trade secrets, confidential and proprietary information of Tesla.”

“XMotors fully respects any third-party’s intellectual property rights and confidential information,” it said.

Cao could not immediately be reached for comment.

Chinese efforts to get hold of American companies’ tech secrets are a sensitive issue. It’s one of the main reasons cited by the Trump administration for launching a trade war with China last year.

The Tesla lawsuit is the second time in less than a year that someone hired by Xiaopeng has been accused of stealing self-driving trade secrets from a big US tech firm.

In July, engineer Xiaolang Zhang was arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets from Apple’s self-driving project. Xiaopeng said that no Apple-related information was transferred to the company, and that Zhang had been dismissed. Zhang has pleaded not guilty.

Xiaopeng has so far raised 100 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) from some of Asia’s biggest tech companies, including Alibaba, Foxconn and Xiaomi. It started selling its first and only electric vehicle, the XPeng G3, in China in December. The SUV includes a self-driving feature called X-Pilot. Tesla’s self-driving feature is called Autopilot.

Tesla is accusing the Chinese company of blatant theft, saying in the complaint that it “has transparently imitated Tesla’s design, technology, and even its business model” and that XMotors currently employs at least five of Tesla’s former Autopilot employees, including Cao.

“Tesla believes Cao and his new employer, XMotors, will continue to have unfettered access to Tesla’s marquee technology, the product of more than five years’ work and … hundreds of millions of dollars of investment, which they have no legal right to possess,” the complaint says.

The US company is suing Cao for punitive damages and seeking a court order to prevent him from retaining and using Tesla’s trade secrets and confidential information.

There’s a lot of Tesla already inside Xiaopeng’s car, according to Tu Le, founder of research firm Sino Auto Insights.

“The XPeng G3 is in a lot of ways a poor man’s Tesla Model X,” he said.

(CNN) — Florida has earned a reputation for being home to some colorful characters — most notably the “Florida man.”

He isn’t actually a single person but rather a trope of all the Florida men who’ve made headlines for doing something … unusual.

And he’s now starring in the latest internet fad: the “Florida man” challenge, in which you Google “Florida man” and your birthday to see what crazy news story from the state pops up.

From botched robberies to deadly cockroach-eating contests, it seems like there’s a wild story about a Florida man for every day of the year.

But what is it about the Sunshine State that generates so many nutty stories?

There are several theories:

• Florida’s strong public records laws, which let journalists easily report on wild crime stories
• The state’s large and varied demographic. which is conducive to some strange occurrences
• The weather, which some say could play a part

But beneath it all, there’s sometimes a deeper element at play in many of these “Florida man” stories — one, that’s no laughing matter.

Easy access to public records

Thanks to Florida’s strong public records laws — also known as Sunshine Laws — it’s easy for journalists to get their hands on police incident reports and churn out attention-grabbing stories.

“Florida has got one of the broadest public records laws in the country,” says Barbara Petersen, president of Florida’s First Amendment Foundation.

You can access basic crime information almost in real time, Petersen added.

“As soon as that incident report is filed (by law enforcement), we can go and make a public record request and get it.”

A huge, diverse population

The wacky headlines also might have to do with a huge, diverse population interacting under sometimes suffocating humidity.

“People don’t recognize how huge Florida is. The number of people per square mile is highly compacted,” says Al Tompkins, a senior faculty member at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, in St. Petersburg, Florida. “When you put more people in a place, you’re going to end up with more crazy stuff.”

Florida’s population stands at more than 21 million people. On top of that, the state had more than 126 million visitors in 2018. And while it’s a big state, most people are concentrated along the coastline or near the big theme parks, said Florida journalist Craig Pittman, who wrote a book on Florida’s quirks.

The sunny weather

To top it off, it’s hot and sunny year-round, so people are always out and about.

“Eventually, they’re going to end up chasing each other around with machetes and arguing (about) whose dog pooped on whose lawn,” Pittman said.

The real tragedy behind many of the stories

While the internet challenge may be fun, there may be more to the story.

“It’s OK to laugh at the funny stuff that happens here, but bear in mind the flip side, too,” Pittman said. “Not every ‘Florida man’ story is laugh-out-loud funny. Some of them have real tragedy behind them.”

When he did the challenge, Pittman said, all the stories that popped up “were sad, really.”

While not applicable in all cases, mental health problems often played a role, Tompkins said. Mental health is a huge issue in Florida, which ranks at the bottom of all states for mental health funding, according to the Florida Policy Institute.

“When the work of journalists basically pokes fun at crime and activities that no reasonable person would be involved in, it’s on us to get beyond the snicker and laugh and sneer and look at if there’s a bigger issue,” Tompkins said.

“It would be wrong to think that Florida has some crazy crime rate — our violent crime rate is actually dropping,” he said. “What is very high, however, is the epidemic of mental health.”

SAN DIEGO – The family of an infant burned by hot coffee at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in 2016 was awarded nearly $6.5 million by a federal court jury.

The family claimed a waiter placed a pot of hot coffee within the reach of their 9-month-old infant.  The baby pulled the pot and spilled hot coffee on herself, suffering third-degree burns, according to KSWB.

Following the incident, Hadley Deruyver, now 3, underwent several surgeries and will require several more surgeries as she grows. Her skin will be permanently scarred and hardened.

“We would gladly trade any dollar figure to not have had Hadley gone through this,” her father, Chris DeRuyver, told KSWB Wednesday. “Every time she looks in the mirror she’s going to know this happened."

The jury found Omni and negligent and awarded Hadley Deruyver $5.6 million in damages for past and future medical expenses as well as pain and suffering. The jury also awarded Hadley’s mother, father and two brothers, who witnessed the incident, a total of $879,000 in damages for negligent infliction of emotional distress.

“We were disappointed that the Omni failed to accept responsibility for its employee’s clear negligence and instead turned on its own customers,” stated lead trial attorney John Gomez. “We hope that today’s verdict causes Omni to take the safety of its guests much more seriously.”

Omni defended the claim by blaming the baby’s parents and nanny for failing to supervise and protect the child.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — On Tuesday, one pooch took it upon herself to save the day when a burglar busted into her owner’s home.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) said the man broke through the first-floor window of a home on Orange Street. Once inside he met Roxy, a large, 90-pound dog, and she was determined to thwart the crook.

"Super proud of her, tried to tell everyone I could," said Roxy's owner Donnie Massing. "I tried to brag about her as much as I can."

Neighbors who saw the crime called 911 before hitting record on their phone. Police said the suspect ran upstairs to avoid the dog and tried to escape from a second-floor window.

"When he was trying to climb out of the window, he had one leg out of the window, and then I guess Roxy was trying to pull him back in the house," Massing said.

The suspect eventually broke free, and is seen in video falling down while yelling, "There's a big dog!" Police arrived as he hit the ground.

“It's a big relief knowing that the guy got caught, and won’t be around here any particular time soon,” Massing said.

IMPD arrested the suspect after first responders treated him for head and hand injuries. It is not known if Roxy caused those injuries.

This week’s On Iowa Politics Podcast covers the special election results and more political incorrectness from Steven King. On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to...

MARION — A Cedar Rapids man is accused of theft after he allegedly stole a vehicle over the weekend and attempted to run from officers during a traffic stop. According to the criminal...

DES MOINES — Basketball tournament fever is gripping Iowa but the real madness may not set in until next March when adult residents could have the chance to legally place bets on their NCAA...

GENESEO, Illinois -- There a recording studio at the top of the Geneseo House that's making big sound waves in the Quad City music community.

The Attic Recording Studios is co-owned by Jose Urquiza and Nathan Walker. This unlikely duo met doing what they love doing - playing music.

"I sing for a band based in the Quad Cities called 'Three Years Hollow,'" Urquiza said.

Walker is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. The two met on the road as they toured, and they found they both had a passion for music production.

Now, they record both local and national bands. One band, Elisium, is from Virginia, but recently moved to Geneseo to work closer with Urquiza and Walker. Elisium was the first band to sign on with The Attic's label. Their music is featured in the video above.

Watch the video for the full story.

VINTON — Frustrated with current options for high-speed internet, Vinton and its roughly 5,100 residents decided to do it themselves. Tom Richtsmeier, general manager of Vinton Municipal...

Burlington police are looking for two “armed and dangerous” men in connection with the slaying of a 59-year-old man on Sunday. The warrants, according to a news release from the...

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BURLINGTON, Iowa — Warrants were issued for two men wanted in connection with a death investigation out of Burlington.

On Friday, March 22, police arrested 26-year-old Majestic Alexander Malone and were looking for 25-year-old Markell “Kellz” Dishe Price, according to a statement from the Burlington Police Department.

Police said both men were wanted on warrants out of Des Moines County stemming from the March 17 death of 59-year-old Edward “Eddie” Breuer.

Breuer died shortly after being found badly injured in the 400 block of Acres Street. That same day, 49-year-old Stanley Baldwin was taken into custody, charged with willful injury.

Police say Price is considered armed and dangerous and described him as standing 6-feet tall and weighing 225 pounds.

If you have any information, you’re asked to call the Burlington Police Department at 319-753-8375 or CrimeStoppers at 319-753-6835.

Just when it seemed like Iowa’s late-season slide would end with a whimper, the Hawkeyes responded a rally to extend their season. Iowa buried 11 of 22 3-point attempts, including 7 of 11 in...

Spring is HERE, the snow is GONE, and now we just need some LIGHTNING to GREEN things up!

Yes, you read that right. Lightning actually makes our grass green! We don't have any storms in our forecast today - Friday, March 22nd - so we are making our own storm in the studio by creating lightning indoors for NAILED IT OR FAILED IT.

All you need are five items - an aluminum tray, pencils with erasers, thumbtacks, Styrofoam plates, and wool. Click here for the instructions.

Now, I have to deal with the fact that we are sometimes going to FAIL, so that's why I'm including our attempt from Good Morning Quad Cities below. I made a few crucial mistakes and after getting some great help from our viewers and watching a million videos (including this one), I realized we need an aluminum tray that does not have a coating. Also, we need to tape down the plate. And my husband's wool socks may just be the secret weapon. Click the video above to see our second attempt on News 8 at 11am and to learn more about why we need lightning to green up our yards!

Whether we NAILED IT OR FAILED IT, you can never FAIL the Cocktail of the Week. To keep with this week's theme, I made Andrew and Electric Lightning Martini! You'll need:

• 1/2 Oz. Vodka
• 1/2 Oz. Coconut Rum
• 1/2 Oz. Blue Curacao
• 1 Oz. Lemon-Lime Soda
• Lemon Wedge Garnish

Instructions: Shake up the vodka, rum, and blue curacao. Stir in the soda. Pour into martini glass. Garnish with lemon wedge. Cheers!

Flood warnings continue along several area rivers including the Mississippi and Rock. Crests are occurring now and will continue this week. Be prepared for road closures and detours in these areas.  Second crest still on track for parts of the Mississippi River by the Sunday-Monday time period. For more information on river levels go to https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=DVN

Great end to the work week with plenty of sunshine swimming in that blue ocean sky and temperatures once again jumping into the 50s this afternoon.

After a frosty night with temperatures in the upper 20s comes another round of full sun and highs around the mid to upper 50s for your Saturday.  This weekend’s best will be followed by our next system that is still on track to bring our next round of light rainfall on Sunday.

Expect some spots of light rain during the morning before the coverage becomes widespread later that day into the night.  Amounts still appear to range between a tenth to a quarter of an inch.  Naturally, this will hamper temperatures just a bit with highs in the lower 50s.

Strong cold front will spill quickly from the north by Sunday night slowly ending the shower chance before dawn Monday.  Colder winds will be felt to start the week with 40s for both Monday and Tuesday before temperatures soar into the 60s heading into the following weekend.  The price we’ll pay will be an increasing chance for showers and even a few thunderstorms.   Hopefully, not the drenching variety.

Chief meteorologist James Zahara

Download the News 8 Weather App — for iOS, click here and for Android, click here

Download the free News 8 App — for iOS, click here and for Android, click here

 

GALESBURG, Illinois — Dozens of people in Galesburg were the victims of fraudulent charges because of credit card skimmers that took their information.

According to the Galesburg Police Department, about 33 people endured a total loss of $18,400 in the operation, as of Thursday, March 21.

The reports came in early March 2019, according to previous reports. Police said customers from multiple financial institutions were impacted.

Related: Red flags that can help you avoid having your financial info stolen by a skimmer

Police said the skimmers were likely at one or more businesses in Galesburg.  There are no suspects at this time.

The FBI continues to investigate this operation as well as other skimmer reports across the country.

At a time when Iowa farmers and the ethanol industry need good news, there’s a dark cloud coming toward our farmers and others living in rural Iowa. I’m concerned that Mighty Earth...

Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking the federal government for help in covering nearly $1.6 billion in damages caused by widespread flooding — the worst in western Iowa — that has inundated...

CASEY, Ill. -  Illinois drivers are being warned to watch out for the possibility of escaped piglets following a crash Friday morning.  A truck caring thousands of piglets overturned on Interstate 70 between Casey and Greenup, about 135 miles northeast of St. Louis.

According to Illinois State Police District 12 Facebook post, nearly 3,000 piglets are loose near milepost 127. The circumstances surrounding the crash are unclear at this time. However, troopers warn that some piglets may be wandering loose and drivers should be vigilant.

No injuries have been reported and all lanes are open.