Bill O'Reilly's Fall; Serena Williams Is Pregnant; A 'Near Miss' Asteroid: Patch Morning Briefing

Good morning! It's Thursday, and the week is almost complete. Here's what you need to know to start your day.

Bill O'Reilly Is Out At Fox News

Tucker Carlson will take over Fox News' key time slot at 8 p.m. following the announcement Wednesday that Bill O'Reilly will no longer work at the network. The move is a devastating blow to the cable news juggernaut and a humiliating fall for the man who became the face of Fox News, where he reigned for years as the top-rated host on cable television and commanded a salary reported at $18 million a year. (Patch)

Serena Williams Confirms Pregnancy

Tennis great Serena Williams is pregnant and expecting her first child this fall, her spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday. Williams made the initial announcement earlier on Snapchat, but the post was later removed, leading to confusion over whether she was, or was not, pregnant. "I'm happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall," spokeswoman Kelly Bush Novak told Patch. (Patch)

Large Asteroid Zips By Earth

A 650-meter asteroid, known by the unlovely moniker 2014 JO25, may still be visible to amateur astronomers Thursday night. We "just missed" colliding with the gargantuan rock as it whizzed by only 1.1 million miles from us Wednesday. That's closer than it may sound, and if it had made impact, the results could have been disastrous. (Patch)

Quick Hits

Colorado Loses Supreme Court Battle: Must Refund Exonerated Defendants (Patch)

FBI Returns Stolen Helmet To Broncos' Von Miller (Patch)

Why I Gave My Kidney To A Stranger — And Why You Should Consider Doing It Too (Vox)

Photos: Singer Tom Jones Selling His Beverly Hills Home (Patch)

Parents' Angry Prank Scares Son, Enrages Internet

A Damascus, Maryland, family's prank video of parents yelling at their son has drawn social media backlash, and reportedly death threats. (Patch)

First 'Dreamer' Deported Under Trump Sues In San Diego

The suit filed on behalf of Juan Manuel Montes alleges that U.S. immigration officials failed to provide any documentation to explain the legal basis for sending the 23-year-old Mexican national to Mexico, even after his legal counsel contacted U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and requested the information under the Freedom of Information Act. (Patch)

From One Pro To Another: Baseball Hall Of Famer Alive Thanks To NFL Player's Heart

When baseball great Rod Carew met the young Konrad Reuland, neither could know the connection they would share. (Patch)

Marijuana-Derived Medicine Could Dramatically Reduce Seizures

A new randomized controlled trial found that cannabidiol may reduce the frequency of seizures by 50 percent in many cases. (Patch)

DC Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo's 6 Life Sentences Unconstitutional: Attorney

The appeal is based on the fact that Malvo was 17 years old when he and his partner, John Allen Muhammad, began their cross-country shooting spree that focused on the Washington metro. (Patch)

Ann Coulter vows to speak at UC Berkeley after school calls off event

A school group had initially invited the controversial writer and commentator to speak, but the invitation was later rescinded. (CNN)

This Day In History

1946 — The nascent League of Nations dissolves

Famous Birthdays

1920 — John Paul Stevens, a former justice on the Supreme Court of the United States

1966 — David Chalmers, an Australian philosopher known for his view that the nature of consciousness is deeply mysterious and possibly incomprehensible for human beings

Photo credit: Pexels