Family reunited with missing New York man after spotting his photo in newspaper report on the homeless in Washington D.C.

Nicholas Simmons

Nicholas A. Simmons, 20, pictured left and right with his sister Hannah, was last seen leaving his home in Rochester on New Year's Day. After he didn't come back, his relatives launched a desperate search for him by contacting local media and making posts on Facebook. However, as his family members were reading Sunday's Democrat and Chronicle, they saw a homeless man who looked just like Simmons in a photograph published by USA Today, center and inset, and notified police who located the man. 'It could have been months before we had a lead on his whereabouts. My baby looks so lost and I will be spending the rest of my life making him well,' his mother wrote on Facebook after he was found.

Arctic Monday commute for 140 million as 'POLAR VORTEX' barrels across the US: 2,500 flights canceled as America prepares for coldest temperatures in 20 years

Plane

More than half of the U.S. is bracing itself for a dangerously cold start to the week as a whirlpool of frigid, dense air known as a 'polar vortex' descended on Monday, pummeling parts of the country with a dangerous cold and adding to the brutal weather that has grounded more than 2,500 flights. With wind chill warnings stretching from Montanan to Alabama, much of the United States will see the coldest temperatures in almost 20 years, according to the National Weather Service.

Canada is so cold residents are experiencing loud booms caused by 'frost quakes'

Frost quake or cryoeism: This graph explains how the frost quakes come about due to expansion caused by water that has frozen quickly

Canada is changing the game when it comes to cold weather phenomenon as reports of 'frost quakes' emerge from around Toronto and Ontario.

MMA fighter 'kills armed intruder, severely injures another and scares off two more in home invasion gone wrong'

New Years: Torrez was home with his young son and fiance when the intruders burst into his home early New Years Day

According to authorities in Dora Ana County, New Mexico, MMA fighter Joe Torrez fatally beat and stabbed one of the intruders.

Liz Cheney abandons troubled Wyoming Senate bid citing 'serious health issues' in her family after feud with lesbian sister over same-sex marriage

Out: Liz Cheney, pictured in July, is reportedly dropping out of the Senate primary after her upstart bid to unseat Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi ignited a war within the Republican Party and caused a feud with her lesbian sister

Cheney, who announced she was running in Wyoming last summer, confirmed her decision in an official statement released this morning, saying her children were her priority.

'She will now be treated like the precious little girl she is': Hospital releases body of Jahi McMath as New York hospice run by woman whose father suffered brain injury plans to take her in

File - This undated file photo provided by the McMath family and Omari Sealey shows Jahi McMath. Jahi was declared brain dead after a tonsillectomy. A judge said Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, that Jahi's mother, Nailah Winkfield, can move her daughter under a deal with the hospital that holds Winkfield accountable for the consequences, which include Jahi going into cardiac arrest. (AP Photo/Courtesy of McMath Family and Omari Sealey, File)

The body of 13-year-old Oakland girl Jahi McMath who was left brain dead after a tonsil operation last month has been released to her mother.

Don't you know who I am? LeBron James asked for ID by bartender at Florida hotel

Famous: LeBron is one of the country's most recognizable sports stars

The 29-year-old Miami Heat basketball star player LeBron James was in Orlando to watch the Orange Bowl when the incident happened at one of the city's hotel bars.

Tiger Mom accused of being a 'full-blown racist' after her new book names the eight 'superior' races and religions that make better parents

She gained notoriety in 2011 as the uncompromising 'Tiger Mom' - boastful that Chinese mothers make better parents and ultimately have more successful children.

She gained notoriety in 2011 as the uncompromising 'Tiger Mom' - boastful that Chinese mothers make better parents and ultimately have more successful children. Now though, Amy Chua has come up with the even more controversial theory that some races and religions are just superior to everyone else - and the inadequacies of others are bringing down America to their mediocre level.

Man leaves 15-year-old girl in a coma in 'brutal sex attack as she walked to school' after being released for sexual assault charges

Luis Pantoja, 25, was charged with the brutal rape of a 15-year-old girl

Luis Pantoja, 25, was arrested Friday for the brutal attack of a 15-year-old girl on December 17 at the 2400 block of North Long Avenue.

'I'll never make it, where do I touch down?': Terrifying call of student pilot during emergency landing on Bronx expressway revealed

Crash: The small plane is pictured on the the Major Deegan Expressway in the Bronx, New York after te emergency landing today

A student pilot saved all on board his plane yesterday in an emergency landing after experiencing engine problems returning from a fly over the Statue of Liberty.

Passengers' terror as drop in cabin pressure causes airbus to make emergency landing en route from London to Singapore

This photo taken by passenger Steve Murphy early on January 6shows oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380

Angry passengers took to social media to complain about being stranded in the Heydar Aliyev International Airport instead of being put up in hotels.

Night nurse of reclusive late heiress Huguette Clark sues for slice of $300million estate after day nurse got $31million

Fortune: Huguette Clark left $300million, which is now being fought over by her former night nurse

Geraldine Coffey, who looked after the wealthy Mrs Clark (pictured) for 20 years until she died aged 104 in 2011, says her boss, who lived alone in New York, had promised to 'provide for her'.

Columnist creates worst ever dating profile but men STILL come flocking - because she posted a picture of a model

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Los Angeles-based writer Alli Reed conducted an experiment to test whether the 'worst fake dating profile in history' would deter the opposite sex, but hundreds of men still begged to meet up with the woman she dubbed 'aaroncarterfan.' She created the fake OKCupid profile using a picture of her best friend who is a model, 'hoping to prove that there exists an online dating profile so loathsome that no man would message it,' despite how attractive the picture is. With her goal to be 'so abhorrent that not even men who comment on YouPorn videos' would respond to her, she was shocked when she got more than 150 messages in just 24 hours.

The primary function of the FBI is national security: Agency finally drops 'law enforcement' as top priority from its mission statement

Now in black and white: The FBI has changed its fact sheet to replace its primary function of 'law enforcement' with 'national security' to finally reflect reforms made since the September 11 attacks

The timing of the change, apparently made last summer, has prompted speculation by U.S. analysts that it has been influenced by the political climate.

Happy 'Massive Monday'! Today sees more people consider affairs and apply for new jobs than any other day of year

couple

New research reveals that spending time with loved ones over Christmas, coupled with trepidation about the year ahead causes the spike.

Camera disguised as a flash drive found taped to plane restroom wall prompting security scare and emergency landing

Boom? An American Airlines flight was forced to land after a passenger found a flash drive in the airplane's bathroom

The American Airlines flight, which originated in San Francisco and was scheduled to land at New York's JFK airport, was forced to land at Kansas City International Airport about 1:30 p.m.

Water in at least three states is polluted by FRACKING as hundreds of complaints are reported across the country

Anger: Anti-fracking protesters hold placards near the White House in September last year. New figures show that water-well contamination from oil and gas drilling has been confirmed in at least three states

Hundreds of complaints have been made about well-water contamination from oil or gas drilling in four states, according to a review of new figures.

So that's how you catch Bigfoot! Man shares photo of Sasquatch he claims to have killed a year ago by luring it with PORK RIBS from Walmart

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Rick Dyer (pictured) claims that he shot Bigfoot in San Antonio, Texas, on September 6, 2012. He has released a photo of the beast and plans to have a press conference. Dyer was involved in a Bigfoot hoax back in 2008, when he claimed he had the body of the creature. However, it turned out to be a big rubber ape suit.

NSA REFUSES to deny spying on Congress after Senator presses for answers

Spying on us? Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont sent a letter on January 3 asking about NSA's surveillance activities on members of Congress

The NSA released a statement on Saturday which did not deny collecting communications from legislators of the US Congress to whom it says it is accountable.

Meet the GOP Senate hopeful who says his conviction for beating his wife actually HELPS his campaign against incumbent female senator

Wife beater: Erick Bennett was convicted in 2003 of assaulting his wife. Now he's running for U.S. Senate

Erick Bennett is a conservative political consultant in Portland, Maine, who has launched a primary campaign against incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins.

Plane carrying a couple and their son, 7, forced to make emergency landing on beach

Father Doyle Thibodeaux, his wife, and seven-year-old son escaped without injury after the plane they were in had a problem with its fuel tanks

A couple and their seven-year-old son escaped without injury after the plane they were travelling in made an emergency landing on Stewart Beach, Glaveston, Texas.

Girl, 9, in critical condition after being kicked in the head by a donkey on New Year's Eve

The mules had somehow managed to escape from their fenced-in enclosure

Emma Johnson, 9, is recovering after being kicked in the head by her neighbors mule in Cherokee County in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday.

EXCLUSIVE: A 'trashy' new girlfriend, dealing drugs and a breathtaking web of lies: The life on the lam of $21m banking fraudster who faked his own suicide

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Aubrey Lee Price, bottom right, faked his own death in June 2012 after he was indicted over a $21m bank fraud. He then changed his name to Jason and by August 2012 he had settled in the rural Florida town of Citra. MailOnline has spoken exclusively to local residents including Bonnie and Richard Sipe, who let him live rent-free on their land, main image, in turn for repairing the property and growing palm trees and watermelons. Instead the enterprising banker began growing marijuana out of a shed where he claimed he was nursing his sick uncle. Price also lied to locals including Jamie McManus, bottom left, and Marc Abney, top left, about alcohol issues and how he had lost his family after being convicted for selling cocaine. He was arrested in Brunswick, Georgia, on New Year's Eve and was quickly discovered to be on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

Hope fades for Ariel Sharon: Doctors say former Israeli prime minister is fighting like a 'true lion' as his condition takes another turn for the worse

'Critical condition': Ariel Sharon, former Israeli Prime Minister, during a press conference at his office in Jerusalem. Doctors today say his condition has deteriorated

Ariel Sharon, 85, who has been in a coma for eight years after a devastating stroke in 2006, is fighting and is not in pain, according to Dr Zeev Rotstein, the director of Tel Hashomer hospital near Tel Aviv.

Killer who abducted and killed family is finally set to be executed after nearly FOUR DECADES on death row

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Askari Abdullah Muhammad, 62, is set to die by lethal injection Tuesday at Florida State Prison for murdering a Florida couple in 1974 and a prison guard in 1980.

'Do you want to die tonight?' Man, 20, threatens nurse and patient with a gun before killing himself at Florida hospital

Hospital shooting: Jonathan Rodriguez-Jeff, 20, of Deltona, shot a glass door entrance at Halifax Hospital's Professional Building Sunday before he went into two rooms threatening to kill patients and nurses

Jonathan Rodriguez-Jeff of Deltona stormed Halifax Hospital on Sunday and threatened to kill patients and nurses with a gun before shooting himself in the head.

Is this finally an invincible phone? New handset is waterproof, heatproof, drop proof and cancels out noise during phone calls

The Cat B100 handset has been designed to ¿withstand the rigours of the real world

The Cat B100 handset has large buttons so that it can be used by someone wearing gloves and can be on standby for up to 23 days with just one charge.

The 'click farms' that sell celebrities and businesses bogus Facebook likes and fake Twitter followers

 Celebrities, businesses and even the U.S. State Department have bought bogus Facebook likes, Twitter followers or YouTube viewers from offshore

For as little as a half a cent per click, websites hawk everything from LinkedIn connections to make members appear more employable to Soundcloud plays to influence record label interest.

New solar-powered Ford can recharge its batteries WITHOUT being plugged in

The C-Max Solar Energi claims to be the first sun-powered hybrid vehicle that does not depend on the electric grid for fuel

The C-Max Solar Energi will go on show at CES, Las Vegas and claims to be the first sun-powered hybrid car that does not depend on the electric grid for fuel.

Blooming! Georgina Bloomberg shows off her phenomenal post-baby body just two weeks after giving birth as she describes her father's first meeting with new grandson

Nepotism: The Trump heiress posed alongside country crooner Hunter Hayes, equestrian Paige Bellisimo, and equestrian Georgina Bloomberg, whose father is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Miss Bloomberg, 30, who gave birth to son Jasper on Christmas Eve, also opened up about her new life as a mom - and the former mayor's new role as a grandfather. The 30-year-old looked healthy and slim in a flowing, red strapless dress as she attended an event in Palm Beach, Florida on Sunday at the invitation of the Trump family.

'A gruesome, medieval scene': Shocking images reveal Japanese fleet is slaughtering whales INSIDE an international sanctuary

Militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says it spotted the Nisshin Maru sailing through the protected Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary during the whaling season

Militant anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says it spotted the Nisshin Maru sailing through the protected Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary during the whaling season. As the Sea Shepherd's helicopter flew above the Japanese ship, campaigners shot footage of the blood-streaked deck and the carcasses of three dead minke whales lying on the ship as another creature was butchered.

Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea with his all-star basketball team and declares that the country 'isn't that bad'

Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea with his all-star basketball team and declares that the country 'isn't that bad'

The U.S. is at odds with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and Rodman has been faulted for not talking about North Korea's human rights record.

Eating plenty of fruit and veg can protect against asthma: High fibre diet prevents lung inflammation

New research suggests that eating a lot of fruit and vegetables can protect against the development of asthma

Mice fed a diet high in fibre had less inflamed lungs when exposed to the house dust mites that trigger the condition, say Swiss researchers.

'I filmed Schumacher crash': F1 legend caught on camera skiing at just 12mph moments before he was thrown into the air and hit his head on a rock

Footage: The unnamed flight attendant contacted German newspaper Der Spiegel about footage shot of his girlfriend at the spot of Schumacher's crash (pictured)

Detectives in France were last night trying to get a copy of the smartphone video after the man, who has not been named, went to German news journal Der Spiegel.

Michael Schumacher made a will distributing his $1.2billion fortune three years before his horrific skiing accident

Critical: Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffered a serious head injury while skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel

The ex-Formula One champion made a will for the first time in 2010, telling a German magazine: 'It is less about Formula One but because of the things that can happen in everyday life'.

Hilarious or creepy? Old Spice advert becomes a viral hit showing moms as they lament how their teenage sons have grown

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In the new TV commercial, for the Re-Fresh body spray,' half-a-dozen moms are seen stalking their young men as they go on dates, flirt or make out with girls. The ad, in which the brand is targeting a younger market, begins with a well-built, shirtless teen spraying himself with Old Spice, an aftershave often associated with older men. He then puts his T-shirt on and leaves, but as he walks out his bedroom door his mother is seen lurking behind it. She begins the heartfelt sing-along, sobbing, 'I didn't see it coming, but it came in a can. My sweet son sprayed into a man.'

Lightning can shape MOUNTAINS: African peaks were formed by strikes capable of blowing 10m of rock into the air

Lighting storms are impressive displays of nature¿s power - but up until now scientists hadn¿t realised that they could also sculpt mountains

Researchers at Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand claim electric storms, and not fracturing, impacted the formation of the Drakensburg mountains.

Apple's iPhone 6 camera could rival digital SLRs after firm buys professional photography app SnappyCam

Reports claim Apple has bought the popular, high-end photography app SnappyCam for an undisclosed amount. The 69p app, which has since been removed from the app store, features a professional 'burst mode' and up to six times zoom

The Australian-based app's 'burst mode' captures between 20 and 30 8-megapixel frames per second and comes with six times zoom.

Man, 46, threatened to 'execute' his lesbian sister and her wife on Christmas because he feared they'd 'turn his daughter gay'

Charged: Gordon Bissonnette, pictured, from Plainville, was arrested after allegedly making continued violent threats against his sister, Corinne Bissonnette, and the rest of his family in a series of hate-filled voicemails

Gordon Bissonnette, from Plainville, Connecticut, was arrested after allegedly making continued violent threats against his sister.

'When I put on a mask and wig I become one of the beautiful people': Secrets of men who dress up as rubber dolls revealed in new documentary

Joel as 'Jessie.'

‘Masking’ or ‘rubber dolling’, as it’s also known, involves wearing elaborate silicone bodysuits complete with breasts and even a vagina.

Mexican vigilante gunmen disarm POLICE so they can rid town of feared Knights Templar drug cartel

Mexican vigilantes preview

Residents tired of living in fear of violent drugs gangs and the police whom they accuse of being in league with the gangs joined forces and stormed Paracuaro in south-western Mexico. Around 600 vigilantes (top left) took up arms and drove into the town in a convoy of blacked-out SUVs before vicious gun battles (bottom left) that left at least one man dead. Meanwhile a passenger bus was set alight, allegedly by gang members, on the highway leading to the town (top right). And in neighbouring Guerrero state, also afflicted by gang violence, vigilante group the Public Safety System marched to celebrate their first anniversary (bottom right).

Body parts that fell from the sky onto Saudi city could be 'remains of someone trapped in an aircraft's undercarriage', police say

A plane is pictured after an emergency landing at Medina airport. Twenty nine people were injured

Officers said the grisly incident happened near the centre of the Red Sea city of Jeddah, just south of King Abdulaziz International Airport, early this morning.

No soldiers will return to Iraq: Britain and the U.S. rule out sending troops despite Al Qaeda's takeover of two major cities

Iraqi violence: Al Qaeda-linked gunmen have largely taken over the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi. Here shown after setting fire to a vehicle on Sunday

A Foreign Office spokesman said ministers were 'deeply concerned' by events in Fallujah and Ramadi, where Al Qaeda-linked fighters have taken control.

Former member of the Swiss Guard says he was regularly asked for sex by 'gay lobby' of bishops, cardinals and priests while serving at the Vatican

Scandal: The former member of the Swiss Guard, which is responsible for protecting the Pope, alleged an active 'gay lobby' at the heart of the Vatican. (File photo of Swiss Guards who are not connected to the claims)

The former guard said he received up to 20 'unambiguous requests' from an active 'gay lobby' in the Vatican, including a dignitary close to Pope John Paul II.

Polish mother travelling with daughter, two, is raped by Indian taxi driver who used a spray to drug her inside his cab

Attack: A Polish woman was drugged and raped as she travelled to the Indian capital with her two-year-old daughter, the latest in a string of sexual attacks on women in the country (file photo)

The woman, 33, and her daughter were travelling in a taxi from the city of Mathura where they live to New Delhi last Thursday when she was allegedly raped by the driver.

This bride really was in ivory! American couple share stunning photographs of Africa wedding while riding elephants

**MANDATORY BYLINE** PIC BY CHRISTOPHER SCOTT/CATERS NEWS - (PICTURED:LYNETTE AND COREY) - Forget the ribbon covered classic car - this couple arrived at their ceremony on an ELEPHANT. Corey and Lynette Perkins had spent three years planning their safari wedding - and definitely have some unforgettable photos. Their beautiful ceremony was held at a safari lodge in Zimbabwe. The couple originally married in Pennsylvania, USA in 2010 but Lynettes relatives, originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, couldnt make the journey. SEE CATERS COPY

Cory Perkins married his wife Lynette (pictured) on Nov.30 at Chengeta Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe. Perkins posted the photos on reddit which became a viral sensation.Perkins and his wife of three years, Lynette, decided to go back to Africa so that she could see her family and so that they could help her community in Africa by building a safe house for young girls affected by the AIDS epidemic.

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Pilot killed and two injured as private jet crashes, overturns and bursts into flames in Aspen in front of horrified witnesses, including LeAnn Rimes

Fatal: Co-pilot Sergio Carranza Brabata, from Mexico, died when the Canadair CL- 600 skidded down the right side of runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, flipped and exploded about 12.30pm

A 54-year-old man was killed and two others injured when a private jet crashed and burst into flames as it landed in Aspen, Colorado today. Co-pilot Sergio Carranza Brabata, from Mexico, died when the Canadair CL- 600 skidded down the right-side of runway at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, flipped and exploded about 12.30pm. The two injured men are also reportedly Mexican pilots. They were rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital, with one in a critical condition. Witnesses, including singer Leann Rimes, file photo inset, looked on in horror as emergency crews rushed to extinguish the flames created by the crash (main and inset), which caused thick plumes of black smoke to surround the airport at the resort ski town.

A diet to cure diabetes: Patients were able to come off tablets after two months on low calorie regime

Potential cure: Consuming only salad, weight loss shakes and non-starchy vegetables for eight weeks could reverse diabetes, a study has found

Consuming only weight loss shakes, salad and non-starchy vegetables for eight weeks could reverse diabetes, a study has found.

New York to legalize medicinal marijuana and become 21st state to allow use of the drug

About face: Governor Cuomo is set to allow medicinal marijuana in New York state

Governor Cuomo plans to use administrative powers rather than legislative action to allow a limited number of hospitals to dispense marijuana for certain ailments.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel breaks hip while cross-country skiing in Swiss mountains... but only realises days later

Mishap: Chancellor Merkel inured herself while on a skiing holiday at the resort in the Engadine valley of Switzerland

Angela Merkel has cancelled a number of official appointments in the coming weeks to recover but vowed to continue to lead the government and hold Cabinet meetings.

Decorated Army general faces life in jail for sexual assaulting female officers and asking them to show him nude pictures of themselves

Court-martialed: Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, a U.S. Army general is facing charges of forcible sodomy and engaging in inappropriate relationships

Brigadier General Jeffrey A. Sinclair Sinclair, 51, has pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges including forcible sodomy, indecent acts, violating orders and conduct unbecoming an officer.

Shocked swimmers find nine baby CROCODILES in their pool after pranksters dumped them in the water

Cool down: Swimmers looking to escape the Queensland heat got more than they bargained for yesterday when some toothy creatures stopped in for a dip

The baby freshwater crocodiles were found swimming in the Mount Isa Aquatics pool in Australia yesterday. But the scorching heat proved to be too much for one of the reptiles and it died.

Baby killer nanny Louise Woodward gives birth to first child 16 years after she was jailed over death of Boston boy Matthew Eappon

Baby killer nanny Louise Woodward gives birth to first child 16 years after she was jailed over death of Boston boy Matthew Eappon
New parents: Louise Woodward, pictured with husband Anthony Elkes, has given birth to a girl 
Louise Woodward (pictured with husband Anthony Elkes) has given birth to her first child in Shrewsbury, Shropshire - 16 years after she was jailed in America for killing a baby in her care. The former nanny, now 35, gave birth to a girl last week, close to her due date. She has named her daughter Holly. The birth comes 16 years after Woodward was convicted of shaking eight-month-old Matthew Eappen to death in his home in Boston in 1997 and was jailed for 15 years.

Louise Woodward (pictured with husband Anthony Elkes and inset left in court 16 years ago) has given birth to her first child in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England - 16 years after she was jailed in America for killing a baby in her care. The former nanny, now 35, gave birth to a girl last week, close to her due date. She has named her daughter Holly. The birth comes 16 years after Woodward was convicted of shaking eight-month-old Matthew Eappen, inset right, to death in his home in Boston in 1997 and was jailed for 15 years.

Playwright, 27, killed in Manhattan high-rise fire which trapped scores inside - including father who live-tweeted the terrifying ordeal

Playwright, 27, killed in Manhattan high-rise fire which trapped scores inside including one scientist who live tweeted the terrifying ordeal
Authorities identified 27-year-old Daniel McClung as the victim of the fire that broke out this morning in a New York City apartment high-rise
Blaze broke out on the 20th floor of the 42-storey building in the Midtown district of Manhattan, New York
Father, Gurinder Singh 'Mickey' Atwal began to tweet that he and his family were trapped on the 26th floor
Posted a harrowing picture of smoke billowing up from below his apartment
Eventually was rescued by the FDNY 
One man has died and one other person is in critical condition as a result of the fire 
By JAMES NYE and MICHAEL ZENNIE
PUBLISHED: 12:09 EST, 5 January 2014 | UPDATED: 22:22 EST, 5 January 2014
296 shares 354 View 
comments
The man killed today in a fire that broke out in a New York City high-rise has been identified as 27-year-old Daniel McClung. 
McClung was found in the stairwell of

Authorities have named 27-year-old playwright Daniel McClung (left) as the man killed in a blaze that broke out today in a Manhattan high-rise. The fire, pictured right, broke out around 11am and trapped many in the building, including one father who live tweeted the harrowing details. Updating his Twitter account from the 26th floor of his Midtown apartment, scientist Gurinder Singh 'Mickey' Atwal tweeted (inset right) that he was unable to escape with his wife and two-year-old son because the stairwells were blanketed with thick smoke.

The car with 1,800CCs of HOUSEpower: Former Air Force mechanic uses his Toyota Prius to power home during storm blackout

Ice storms left hundreds of thousands without power for days in Toronto, except for one man who managed to power his home using electricity from his car

Bob Osemlak, from Thornhill, Toronto, beat the blackout during an ice storm by using the electricity from his Toyota Prius to heat his home and power the lights.

Tutankhamun's penis was embalmed erect - and study reveals the bizarre ritual may have carried out for religious reasons

Funeral Mask of Tutankhamun

Researchers from the American University in Cairo believe the appendage was embalmed at a 90-degree angle to make the king look like Osiris, the god of the underworld.

Losing city council candidate accuses rival of putting Caribbean voodoo curse on her by having rooster painted on her building

Melissa Mark-Viverito

Gwen Goodwin claims that New York City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (pictured) used campaign and political cash to have the mural painted.

'That was beyond the line': Romney blasts MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry's jokes about adopted black grandson but accepts her apology

'Beyond the line': Mitt Romney emerged for a rare interview Sunday in which he reacted to the comments made last week about his adopted black grandson Kieran

Romney scolded the liberal network for airing the despicable comment while accepting host Melissa Harris-Perry's tearful apology.

Room with an ocean view: 90-year-old cargo ship with rooms designed by Henry Ford now serves as a Lake Erie holiday home

The Benson Ford is a ship-home hanging 18 foot over the surface of Lake Erie, Ohio

Originally desgined as cargo ship, the 90-year-old Benson Ford now serves as a holiday home perched on the edge of an 18 foot cliff overhanging Lake Erie in Ohio. Previous passengers include Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, and the house still contains the walnut paneled state rooms, dining room, galley, and passenger lounge designed by Henry Ford for his own personal use while on board.

Feeling glum? Well it is Blue Monday: Rain, debt and divorce make it worst day of the year

What happened to my lie-in? The stark reality of returning to work makes tomorrow the most depressing day of the year

Extensive analysis of social media reveals that the first Monday back at work in January is the most miserable.

Colorado marijuana shops make $28,000 each on the FIRST DAY of legalized pot

An employee radio frequency tracking tags - required by law - to pot plants maturing inside a grow house at 3D Cannabis Center. Almost all businesses are looking to expand the number of plants in response to skyrocketing sales

'Adult use' pot is projected to be a $208 million industry in Colorado this year - on top of the $250 million projected to be spent on medical marijuana - with marijuana shops in Denver making thousands an hour.

French mother sues couple for filming her drunk son stumbling along because they did not stop him later falling into a river and drowning

A couple who in 2012 passed by a drunk 19-year-old student who was later found drowned (in river pictured) is now being sued in France by his mother ¿ an ex-policewoman ¿ for failing to provide assistance

Sylvie Zecca said she wanted to make an 'example' of the young couple for allegedly breaching a French law which requires persons to provide assistance to someone in danger.

Manager of restaurant in Bali where mother and daughter died on first day of ‘dream holiday’ says he ate the same fish suspected of poisoning them

The 54-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter were said by police to have died after falling ill in the early hours of Saturday morning

Noelene Bischoff, 54, and her daughter Yvana, from Queensland, died within hours of arriving on the holiday island to stay at Padang Bai Beach Resort, in Karangasem, on Bali's east coast.

From sunny Hawaii to the polar vortex! Glum-looking Obama and the girls arrive back in Washington from two-week vacation but lucky Michelle gets to stay behind as an early 50th 'birthday present'

Obama LEAVES Michelle in Hawaii as 50th 'birthday present' while he returns from two-week vacation with Sasha and Malia
First lady remains in Hawaii ahead of her birthday on January 17
Her husband, President Barack Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia, arrived home in Washington on Sunday following a two-week vacation
The White House says Michelle plans to 'spend time with friends'
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 13:00 EST, 5 January 2014 | UPDATED: 15:53 EST, 5 January 2014
836 shares 170 View 
comments
Michelle Obama doesn't want jewelry or chocolates for her 50th birthday later this month. She wants to be alone. 
President Barack Obama returned to Washington Saturday after two weeks of vacationing with his family in Hawaii. He left with daughters Sasha and Malia. Michelle stayed behind.
'As part of her birthday gift from the president, the first lady will remain in Hawaii to spend time with friends ahead of her upcoming 50th birthday,' the White House explained in a statement.

President Barack Obama returned to Washington Sunday along with daughters Sasha and Malia (main). Michelle (right) stayed behind ahead of her birthday on January 17. The White House did not say how much longer Michelle would stay in Hawaii or when she would rejoin her family in Washington. The four Obamas - including daughters Sasha, 12, and Malia, 15 - were seen around the northern end of the island of Oahu.

Bill de Blasio welcomed to Gracie Mansion as thousands line up for unprecedented public housewarming

@Vanessalgibson/twitter

De Blasio will be the 10th mayor to occupy the Upper East Side mansion as he and his family move into the 200-year-old mansion.

Pregnant woman shot in the head in Italy gives birth four months later while still in coma

Comatose Carolina Sepe gave birth to a baby in a Naples hospital last month (file picture)

Last month doctors at the Naples hospital she was being treated in performed a caesarean section on her to save her baby daughter, after her vital signs grew weaker.

US icebreaker sent to help stranded ships that rescued tourist boat from Antarctic

To the rescue! The US is sending heavy icebreaker, Polar Star, to help free a Russian ship and a Chinese icebreaker gripped by Antarctic ice, the Coast Guard said on Saturday

The US vessel, Polar Star, is responding to a request for assistance from Australian authorities as well as from the Russian and Chinese governments, the Coast Guard said.

Scientists find humans and chimpanzees share ability to make friendships (and both choose pals with similar personality traits)

Researchers have found that chimps, like people, form close friendships. Pictured here are two chimpanzees at Sydney's Taronga Zoo

Austrian and Swiss researchers found that chimps, like people, form close friendships. And just like us, they are drawn to pals with similar personality traits.

Family fear the worst for their missing pet dog after capturing footage of a mountain lion on their porch

Mountain lion preview

Saro and Vera Tomasian believe their boxer Rocky (inset) was eaten after CCTV showed the big cat stalking towards an area on their Sun Valley home where he was sleeping. Mr Tomasian said Rocky has never left the property in the nine years they have lived there. He said: 'I checked the surveillance cameras after the dog was missing to see what happened with the incident. That's where it was I sighted the mountain lion on the property. We are concerned.'

The mutt who taught me the meaning of life: Burnt-out? Life lost its purpose? Lorraine felt the same way - until she met a dog desperate for love

 Lorraine Fisher

'He had the biggest brown eyes I'd ever seen, and a thick coat such a vivid shade of red that it reminded me of the setting sun. He was a veritable beauty,' says LORRAINE FISHER.

Fourteen die in stampede at mosque in China with another 10 left needing hospital treatment

An injured woman receives medical treatment at a hospital in Xiji Town of Guyuan, following the deadly stampede

The incident occurred Sunday afternoon at the mosque in Guyuan, a city in the Ningxia region, the Xinhua News Agency said.

Urban Outfitters under fire for selling a t-shirt glamorizing depression - just two years after being forced to pull another with slogan 'Eat Less'

Depressing: Many are offended by this t-shirt being sold by Urban Outfitters

Youth clothing retailer Urban Outfitters is causing controversy selling a cropped monochromatic t-shirt that has the word 'depression' emblazoned across it.

Girl, 12, gets tongue stuck to flagpole after LICKING IT in freezing 17F cold

Oops: Maddie Gilmartin, 12, made the once-a-lifetime mistake of licking a flagpole in her front yard during llast week's blizzard

Maddie Gilmartin says she licked the pole on a whim and realized within seconds it was a mistake.

Pregnant teacher who survived Moore tornado names newborn son after favorite student who died in her arms as killer storm flattened elementary school

Elementary school teacher Jennifer Doan was eight weeks pregnant when she survived the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma last May.

Elementary school teacher Jennifer Doan was eight weeks pregnant when she survived the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma last May (right). She and her husband gave birth to a baby boy on December 21 (left) and decided to give him the middle name Nicolas (middle), after one of the children she couldn't save. Another six of Doan's students perished in the tornado when it hit Plaza Towers Elementary, which didn't have a storm shelter.

Actor Chazz Palminteri slams former co-star after early release from prison

Chazz

Actor Chazz Palminteri says he doesn't want to have anything to do with newly-freed actor Lillo Brancato.

Police investigating the execution death of British oil worker and his New Zealand girlfriend in Libya 'make four arrests'

Former RAF officer Mark De Salis

News of the arrests were reported in Libya Alhurra, but New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade could not confirm the development.

'Mystery object' that stopped $80m drilling machine for weeks was tiny eight-inch PIPE

pipe

An unknown object that stopped the world's most powerful tunnel boring machine digging underneath Seattle has finally been identified as a small steel pipe.

German automaker BMW reveals its high-tech bobsled for American Olympic bobsled team

'It's faster than anything else on the track': Holcomb and Chris Fogt finish their run during the United States two-man bobsled team trials in Park City, Utah in October. The duo hopes the German-designed sled will give the US team an edge in Sochi

German automaker BMW reveals its high-tech bobsled for AMERICAN Olympic bobsled team

A list of enemies 'a mile long': Kidnapped and killed millionaire real estate developer was 'a slumlord' claim cops as his funeral is held

funeral

Hundreds of members of the Satmar Hasidic community gathered Saturday in Brooklyn (right) for an emotional funeral service honoring Menachem Stark (top left), 39, whose burned body turned up on Long Island Friday. The Orthodox Jewish real estate developer was kidnapped Thursday. This development comes as cops released dramatic surveillance footage that shows the suspects forcing Stark into a Dodge Caravan (bottom left) after he left his offices in Williamsburg during the recent blizzard.

Millions of visitors to Yahoo.com hit by huge malware attack

Malware

Visitors to Yahoo.com over the past week may have been affected by malware coming from the site's ads.

Doctors forced to hide patients as militants threaten to attack each other in Syrian hospital treating wounded

Crossfire: A Free Syrian Army fighter holds his weapon in Jeb Chalabi neighborhood, West Aleppo, where savage fighting is causing devastation

The hospital in the northern city of Aleppo is caught in the middle of fierce fighting between Islamists and members of the Free Syrian Army.

Revealed: Reclusive billionaire behind Beanie Babies spent 'unhappy' early years poor and taking care of schizophrenic mom

Ty Warner

Ty Warner, 69, is the creator of Beanie Babies, a billionaire businessman who admitted evading taxes in a secret Swiss bank accounts.

Lucky shot! Colts player accidentally tweets photo of naked Andrew Luck after he rallied team to stunning play-off comeback victory

McAfee didn't even realize that Luck was in the frame - he was attempting to show a humorous picture of veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri wearing a collared shirt and sweater - with a towel wrapped around his waist - while he gave an interview.

Luck, who led his team to a stunning comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, inadvertently appeared in the buff in a locker room picture.

Frugal micro-home owner who used Trader Joe's bags as WALLPAPER and says most tiny home builders create 'McMansions'

portland

'Most of the tiny houses out there are mini-McMansions,' says Portland cabin owner Phoenix, who believes the movement is about creativity and not trends. Phoenix and her partner's set of two 364-square-foot homes use Trader Joe's bags for wallpaper and tin cans for shingles, but not every micro-home owner is quite as frugal. Phoenix lives in the set of miniature houses with her 24-year-old son and partner. They've personalized their abode out of found and repurposed goods like old bean sacks and hammered tomato sauce cans from a local pizza shop and she believe that's how things should be.

Forget Ronaldo: Robotic suit controlled by the mind will help paralyzed teenager deliver the World Cup's best shot

Scientists from around the world are working to enable a young Brazilian paraplegic to kick off the opening game of the FIFA World Cup 2014

The exoskeleton, designed as part of the international 'Walk Again Project', will allow the paralysed Brazilian to kick the ball in the opening ceremony.

Twelfth Night celebrations horror as highwire cable snaps and stuntman smashes into wall above horrified crowds, where he is left to dangle above them unconscious

A fireman is in a serious condition after a fancy dress holiday stunt went tragically wrong when a cable snapped and sent him crashing into a church bell tower

Father of two Salvatore Alfano, 45, suffered serious head injuries after slamming into the brickwork and was instantly knocked out in front of horrified spectators in Caserta near Naples.

Adorable boy raises more than $1,000 in online campaign for girl he has had a crush on 'since second grade' after her father dies

Heartwarming: Little David Carnahan has raised more than $1000 for his crush's family after her father died on December 23

When David Carnahan's school crush lost her father last month, the young Texas boy provided more than a shoulder to cry on.

Top British boarding school bans sexting app SnapChat from its wifi network

Ban: Eton College (pictured) has banned its pupils from using messaging app Snapchat

Eton boys can no longer use the messaging service after it was blocked on the school's wifi over concerns it was being used to send sexual images.

A roaring success, the world's first white ligers: Four brothers are rarest big cats on the planet and are living in South Carolina

Ligers

The adorable cubs (left) - named Yeti, Odlin, Sampson and Apollo - are the world's first ever white lion-tiger hybrids, or 'ligers'. They were born from Ivory, a white male lion, and Saraswati, a white female tiger (both inset), at Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina. The cubs - who already have their own personalities - could grow to be the biggest cats on the planet. They already weighing 15lbs and gain on average a pound in weight every day. Their uncle, Hercules, currently holds the record for the world's largest cat at 922 lbs and 131 inches long.

   

DON'T MISS

Stuck in the mud! Baby elephant is rescued by its mother after getting stranded while taking a bath

ELEPHANT

The three-month-old calf was enjoying a quiet dip in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, but became stranded when it struggled to pull itself out of the lake. Fortunately the tiny elephant's mother was on hand to help haul him to safety with the help of her huge trunk, as seen in these adorable images taken by South African photographer Ken Watkins.

He's behind you! Three Minnesota brothers have spent 95 hours building a giant snow shark

Brothers Austin, Connor and Trevor Bartz of New Brighton, Minnesota created the snow shark

Putting all other snowmen to shame, Austin, Connor and Trevor Bartz from new Brighton began crafting the bone-chilling shark on December 3 - and are happy with their handiwork.

It's minus 41F, but at least you can make your own 'dry ice'! Canadian man shows what happens when you shoot boiling water into record low temperatures

Boiling water freezes

As a polar vortex grips the northeast many are choosing to stay safe and warm inside, but one Canadian couldn't resist experimenting with the arctic conditions.

Girl who falls asleep 30 times a day since taking flu vaccine: Teenager to receive pioneering drug in battle against narcolepsy

Chloe Glasson, 15, developed the nightmare sleeping disorder narcolepsy after being vaccinated with swine flu drug Pandemrix in November 2009

Just four months after being given the Pandemrix injection, Chloe Glasson, 15, from Fife, developed the sleeping disorder narcolepsy. Now, without warning, she falls asleep up to 30 times a day.

A job well-done: Russian steakhouse uses flamethrowers to chargrill billboard and really show off its authentic cooking

Hot topic: The billboard, advertising char-grilled steaks, was set on fire at night to create authentic burn marks

Double Grill and Bar, in Yekaterinburg, pulled off the stunt, which saw men dressed as chefs flamethrower a picture of raw meat - which then appeared cooked.

Twelfth Night and time to toss out the tinsel (but probably not like this): These festive athletes are competing for the Christmas tree throwing crown

The annual Christmas Tree Throwing World Championships, held in Wiedenthal, Germany, is made up of three disciplines

These festive athletes have found a novel way of getting rid of their decorations - at the annual Christmas Tree Throwing World Championships, held in Wiedenthal, Germany. The less-than-serious annual event is now in its eighth year and features competitions in distance throwing, height throwing and flinging of Christmas trees.

WORLD NEWS

Dennis Rodman arrives in North Korea with his all-star basketball team and declares that the country 'isn't that bad'        

Frozen in time: Michigan lighthouses transformed into giant icicles after freezing storm

Frozen lighthouses preview

These stunning photographs were captured by U.S. photographer Thomas Zakowski, 56, on a trip to St Joseph, Michigan. Mr Zakowski, from South Bend, Indiana, said: 'The lighthouses were frozen solid by the waves that came crashing down against the pier. What made the photograph of one of them so interesting was the fact that the storm was so intense it uplifted the anchors of the scaffolding which had been left there after painting. It looks like a stairway in many ways and added a quality to the scene you will never see again.'

How NOT to set off fireworks: Pyrotechnic 'misfires' and showers revellers with sparks at New Year's Eve celebration

Light fantastic: Kuloveski's image captures the moment a firework sprays revellers in sparks

The amazing image – titled Explosive New Year 2014 - was taken by photographer Kimmo Kulovesi on New Year’s Eve in Helsinki.

Face of the future: Photographer daubs models with flecks of neon paint in a stunning series of out-of-this-world images

Many of the images taken by Brazilian photographer Hid Saib for his Neon series appear to have come from a science fiction film

Many of the images taken by Brazilian photographer Hid Saib for his Neon series appear to have come from a science fiction film. Some of the paint flecks have taken on an out of this world quality, with the droplets resembling a galaxy of stars dotted across his subject's faces and shoulders, while in other portraits the bright make up gives the effect of a vivid fireworks display.