Good morning, and TGIF! Here are some of the stories we're following today:
1. Pistorius trial: ‘Blade Runner’ guilty of culpable homicide
South African sprinting star Oscar Pistorius has been found guilty of culpable homicide — akin to manslaughter in the U.S. — after dodging a murder conviction Thursday. The judge said Pistorius “acted negligently” when he shot through a bathroom door killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, last year. The double-amputee athlete has maintained he thought it was an intruder behind the door. The dramatic case isn’t over, and Pistorius must still be sentenced on Oct. 13. He could see as many as 15 years behind bars, although he could also get no jail time — and be put under house arrest. Read more in NEWS.
2. Convicted school shooter captured after prison break
Thomas “T.J.” Lane, 19, was apprehended early Friday after hopping a fence at the Allen Correctional Institution in Lima, Ohio, on Thursday night. His escape prompted a major manhunt and even led the high school where he killed three students in 2012 to announce it would close down Friday. Lane broke free with another inmate, who has also been caught. Lane is in prison for life without parole in the shooting rampage, and made headlines for wearing a T-shirt with the word “killer” on it during his sentencing. Read more in NEWS.
3. James Foley’s mom ‘appalled’ by American government
Diane Foley has lashed out at the Obama administration for not doing enough to secure her son’s freedom before he was beheaded by ISIS militants in Syria last month. “I think our efforts to get Jim freed were an annoyance” to U.S. officials, she told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Foley said U.S. officials indicated her family could be prosecuted if they raised ransom to free her son, a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012. Read more in NEWS.
4. Ukraine, rebels make prisoner swap as part of cease-fire
Some 36 Ukrainian servicemen were released early Friday as 31 pro-Russian rebels were handed over in the deal. The transfer took place in the dark outside the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk under the watch of international observers — the same day the European Union in Brussels imposed a new round of sanctions on Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Hundreds of prisoners are believed to be held by both sides, although no firm figure has been provided by either. Read more in NEWS.
5. Doctor with Ebola given blood serum from virus survivor
Nebraska doctors treating a Massachusetts doctor, Rick Sacra, are hoping two transfusions of blood serum from Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly will help save his life. Sacra, who was flown to Nebraska from Liberia last week, is steadily improving, said his wife, Debbie Sacra. Richard Sacra wasn’t treating Ebola patients when he got infected, but helping a pregnant women. He was very weak when he arrived in Nebraska but has recovered quickly, his doctors said. Read more in HEALTH.
6. Ravens owner admits he never asked for Ray Rice video
Owner Steve Bisciotti says he has several regrets in how he handled the investigation of the disgraced running back, who was ousted after a fuller video was leaked showing him punching his now-wife in an elevator. Bisciotti said he never pushed Rice or his lawyer for a complete video after an edited one was released in July. “We could have said, ‘You’ve got to give it to us or you’re not playing for us. We have to see this whole thing,'” Bisciotti told NBC affiliate WBAL. The NFL has ordered an independent review into how the league handled its investigation. Read more in NEWS.
… What’s trending today?
Wishing some of your favorite NBC sitcoms were still running? Well, they are — virtually. Fans of “The Sims,” a popular video game now in its fourth incarnation, have been laboriously recreating classic shows, including “Friends,” “Seinfeld” and “The Golden Girls.”