17 Americans, Including Children, Kidnapped In Haiti

ACROSS AMERICA — Good morning! It's Monday, Oct. 18. Before you head out to start your week, catch up on the stories we're following:

• Seventeen Americans, including children, on a Christian mission in Haiti were kidnapped and a gang is demanding a $1 million ransom.
• Former President Bill Clinton was released from a California hospital Sunday after he suffered a serious urinary tract infection and was admitted to the intensive care unit.
• At least five of the people charged with in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 have ignored judges' advice and have not hired lawyers to represent them.
• Texas Republicans are set to redraw congressional boundaries to give them a better chance of success in upcoming elections, according to experts.

American Missionaries Kidnapped In Haiti

A group of 17 U.S. missionaries including children was kidnapped by a gang in Haiti on Saturday, according to a voice message sent to various religious missions by an organization with direct knowledge of the incident. The missionaries were on their way home from building an orphanage, according to a message from Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. "This is a special prayer alert," the one-minute message said. "Pray that the gang members would come to repentance." >> US Religious Group Says 17 Missionaries Kidnapped In Haiti via Across America Patch

Bill Clinton Out Of Hospital ICU After Health Scare

Former President Bill Clinton was released from UCI Medical Center Sunday after a five-day stay for a urinary tract infection that spread to his bloodstream. Clinton, 75, walked out of the hospital and into a waiting vehicle at about 8 a.m. Sunday, accompanied by former first lady Hillary Clinton. "President Clinton was discharged from UC Irvine Medical Center today. His fever and white blood cell count are normalized and he will return home to New York to finish his course of antibiotics," according to a statement from Dr. Alpesh Amin, executive director of hospital medicine at UC Irvine Health. » Bill Clinton Released From Southern California Hospital via Orange County Patch in California

No Lawyer For Me, Judge

Some of the defendants charged in the storming of the U.S. Capitol are turning away defense lawyers and electing to represent themselves, undeterred by their lack of legal training or repeated warnings from judges. That choice already has led to some curious legal maneuvers and awkward exchanges in court. A New York man charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection wants to bill the government for working on his own case. A Pennsylvania restaurant owner is trying to defend herself from jail. A judge told another New Yorker that he may have incriminated himself during courtroom arguments. >> Risky Business: Some Capitol Riot Defendants Forgo Lawyers via Across American Patch

New Map = More Republicans In Texas?

Texas Republicans on Saturday night closed in on redrawn U.S. House maps that would shore up their eroding dominance as voters peel away from the GOP in the state's booming suburbs. In a key late-night vote in the Texas House, Republicans gave early sign-off to new congressional boundaries that would give them more breathing room after some close calls in 2018 and 2020, while also opening a new path for the GOP along the border with Mexico. But in a preview of legal challenges to come, Democrats spent hours blasting the maps as discriminatory and all but blind to the state's surging number of Latino residents, who made up more than half of the nearly 4 million new Texans over the past decade. >> Texas GOP Advances New Maps That Would Tighten Slipping Grip

Where Is Brian Laundrie?

Florida authorities on Sunday continued to search for Brian Laundrie, the 24-year-old suspect in the killing of his fiancee, 22-year-old Gabby Petito, as they traveled the country in a van. Laundrie refused to cooperate with authorities and fled; he was believed to be hiding in swampy areas. On Friday, a body found in North Carolina that was rumored to possibly be Laundrie was instead confirmed to be a missing Rhode Island man. >> Where Is Brian Laundrie? via Sarasota Patch in Florida

Real Estate

An incredible $2.6 million "entertainer's dream" home in Arvada, Colorado, recently hit the market. There are six fireplaces, a 120-bottle wine wall, theater, fire pit, hot tub, guest house and more. >> Wow House: $2.6M Arvada 'Entertainer's Dream' Estate via Arvada Patch in Colorado

This Day In History

On this day in 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to her home country after eight years of self-imposed exile. She was assassinated two months later as she campaigned for election.

Across Patch

• Matt Damon and Adam Driver Bring Pure Ferocity in 'The Last Duel' via Hollywood Patch in California
• Abandoned Rooster Rescued On Long Island via Shirley-Mastic Patch in New York
• Flights Resume At DC Airport After Tire 'Blow Out' Disables Plane via Arlington Patch in Virginia
• Film Industry Is Rebounding In New Jersey; $500M Expected To Be Spent In 2021, via Newark Patch in New Jersey
• For Pete's Sake, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers Isn't A Bad Guy via Chicago Patch in Illinois
• 2 Killed In New Jersey Bus Crash via Across New Jersey Patch
• Driver Flees Fatal LIE Crash On Foot via Brentwood-Central Islip Patch

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