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Tour guide identified as victim who died in Colorado gold mine elevator malfunction Colorado authorities have identified the person that died in a former gold mine that is now a tourist attraction.    Patrick Weier, a Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine tour guide, died after being trapped for several hours underground on Thursday after an elevator

'Pumpkins on steroids': California contest draws gourds the size of a Smart car HALF MOON BAY, Calif. – Nick Kennedy is married with two kids under age 8 and a job as a project manager for a San Francisco tech firm, yet he spends countless hours growing enormous pumpkins for competitions, to the point of

A 'Trooper': Florida dog rescued from Hurricane Milton on I-75 awaits adoption TALLAHASSEE, Fla. − The dog tied to a fence along Interstate 75 as Hurricane Milton approached Florida is a real "Trooper." The dog, which appears to be a Bull Terrier, is now in the care of the Leon County Humane Society, in Tallahassee.

Florida residents are filling sandbags as Milton nears. Here's how bags work. As Hurricane Milton approaches coastal Florida, residents are again packing and setting out sandbags, a familiar attempt at limiting flood damage that has become a ritual in the wake of Hurricane Helene and other storms. To those who have never used them, sandbags

White House doctor: Harris in 'excellent health,' has allergies WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris is "in excellent health," her doctor, Joshua Simmons, said in a memo released Saturday morning. The release, reflecting a physical taken in April, aims to contrast the Democratic presidential candidate with her opponent, former President Donald Trump, who would be

Your free COVID-19 at-home tests from the government are set to expire soon. Here's why. The free COVID-19 tests the federal government recently rolled out will expire soon, but there is an explanation for that.   Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that households across the country can get

Tim Walz faces new question: How many 'misspeaks' can a 'knucklehead' get away with? MINNEAPOLIS — What started as an appealing character trait has quickly become one of Tim Walz's biggest problems: His way with words. Exaggerations from the 60-year-old Minnesota governor's past, combined with a series of verbal gaffes, have helped define the Democratic

How child care costs became the 'kitchen table issue' for parents this election season Christina Parker should be able to live comfortably in Mill Valley, California, a leafy suburb north of San Francisco on her six-figure salary working for a real estate developer. Instead she watches her checking account slowly empty all month long until

This dog sat in a road until a car stopped, then led man into woods to save injured human Keith Johnson, 84, could not move after he fell and broke his hip. But his faithful dog Gita sat in the road until a car stopped and she led a deputy deep in the woods to

Nation's first AIDS walk marches toward 40: What we've learned and what we've forgotten In July 1985, more than 4,000 people gathered in their walking shoes at California’s Paramount Studios, bound by a cause that until then had largely existed in the shadows. Their grassroots motivation to take to the streets of Hollywood had intensified

Struggling to pay monthly bills? These companies say they can help lower them. Every year, Julia Zhu’s husband would collect information on home values in their area, including their own appraisals, receipts and much more, then take a day off work to go argue at city offices why their property tax should be lower. That

Which candy is the most popular search in each state for Halloween? Think: Vegetable What do you plan on giving trick-or-treaters for Halloween? Ahead of spooky celebrations, Google shared a list with USA TODAY of the most-searched candy in each state with data compiled from Sept. 4 through Oct. 4. The title this year belongs