Here's a roundup of news trending across the nation and world today.
What to know now:
1. Troops to stay in Afghanistan: President Barack Obama will keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan senior administration officials have announced. Obama had pledged to remove all be a small number of U.S. forces from the country, but military leaders argued that the Afghans needs U.S. support in their fight against the Taliban.
2. The latest on NBA star Lamar Odom's condition: Lamar Odom, the ex-NBA and reality TV star, is on a ventilator in a Las Vegas hospital after he is said to have suffered a stroke and, likely, brain damage. According to sources, Odom had multiple drugs in his system after he was found unconscious at a Nevada brothel Tuesday. Nye (Nev.) County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly said Odom, 35, had been using cocaine on Saturday when he checked into the Love Ranch brothel.
The sheriff's office released a 911 call in which the caller said Odom had recently used cocaine.
3. $100 million suit filed: The family of a man lost on a cargo ship that sank during Hurricane Joaquin is suing the company that owned the ship along with the ship's captain. Joanna Johnson filed a $100 million lawsuit against the company that owned the El Faro. The ship disappeared near the Bahamas two weeks ago.
4. Reality star Abby Lee Miller indicted: Abby Lee Miller, star of the TV reality show "Dance Moms," was indicted on charges of "bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets, and false bankruptcy declarations," Wednesday. Miller was named as the sole defendant in the 20-count indictment. Prosecutors say Miller filed for reorganization on her dance studio then hid income earned from the reality show when filing the bankruptcy papers.
5. Coach says he'll pray: A Washington high school football coach said Wednesday he intends to pray at the 50-yard line after this Friday's game though he will likely lose his job. Joe Kennedy, the coach at Bremerton Washington High School, is defying school district orders not to hold any religious ceremony on school grounds. Texas-based Liberty Institute is backing Kennedy and says it will file suit if necessary on his behalf.
And one more
They were born the same day and they died within hours of each other. Identical twins Helen Mae Cook and Clara Mae Mitchel, 83, both died Tuesday in Colorado. Clara passed away from a heart attack early Tuesday morning and Helen died hours later after suffering with Alzheimer's disease for six years.
In case you missed it
A little girl sings to encourage her mom in her fight against cancer.
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