A Pennsylvania boy was killed Wednesday in his North Philadelphia home when he fell on a piece of glass from a broken picture frame, authorities said. >> Read more trending news  The 4-year-old was impaled in the abdomen by the glass and died at an area hospital, WCAU-TV reported. The boy was at home with his mother and other family members when the accident happened on the second floor of the house. >> Trending: School bus driver on heroin revived with Narcan after crash, police say The boy’s death is under investigation and the family is said to be cooperating with police.  

Measles outbreaks are occurring around the world.  >> Read more trending news  More than 130 people — about half of them ages 1-4 — have died in the Philippines, and 8,443 others having contracted the disease. Officials blame the outbreak on a fear of vaccinations. Despite being declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, there have been five outbreaks already this year, including in Washington state. Three cases have been confirmed in Georgia, all in the same Atlanta family.  Every state has vaccinations requirements for children to attend school, but 47 states offer exemptions on religious grounds. Seventeen of those states also allow parents to opt out of vaccinations for “personal, moral or other beliefs.” That doesn’t sit well with the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. >> Related: Unvaccinated kids now seeking out vaccines 'Some states are engaging in such wide exemptions that they're creating the opportunity for outbreaks on a scale that is going to have national implications,' Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Tuesday in an interview with CNN. 'It's an avoidable tragedy,' Gottlieb told Axios. 'Too many states have lax laws.' If states don’t strengthen their their requirements, Gottlieb said, “… I think they're going to force the hand of the federal health agencies.' Gottlieb offered no specifics as to how the FDA would intervene, but he told CNN he hoped recent outbreaks would make state officials realize the need for vaccinations. Reports of measles have made some people rethink the anti-vaccine stance.  “Internet-savvy teenagers are fact-checking their parents’ decisions in a digital health reawakening — and seeking their own treatments in bouts of family defiance,” the Washington Post reported. >> Related: What is measles and how can you prevent it? For a child to be exempt from immunization on religious grounds in Georgia, for example, “the parent or guardian must first furnish the responsible official of the school or facility an affidavit in which the parent or guardian swears or affirms that the immunization required conflicts with the religious beliefs of the parent or guardian.” Georgia does not allow exemption for philosophical reasons.

A Wisconsin man is facing charges after his arrest for allegedly driving away from a Manitowac gas station without paying for his fuel for the 23rd time. >> Read more trending news  During the latest incident involving Karl Kinyon, 37, he told police officers he was in a hurry Monday and that he has a “layaway system” with the Kwik Trip gas station and always pays for the gas “eventually,” WLUK-TV reported. The gas station said Kinyon still owes more than $800 for 14 drive-offs he hasn’t paid for yet, according to WLUK. >> Trending: 3,000 turkey fryers recalled over potential fire hazard He’s facing charges of retail theft and bail jumping related to charges from other retail theft cases.

Newly released jailhouse phone calls provide insight into how a woman arrested in connection with the death of her 2-year-old son was adjusting to life at the Orange County Jail in Florida. >> Read more trending news In July, Johnathan Pursglove beat Jayce Martin to death in what was described by detectives as a case of torture, police said. Pursglove and Victoria Toth, his girlfriend and Martin's mother, face manslaughter charges in connection with the boy's death. In the newly released calls with Toth's parents, she did not mention Martin while listing what was wrong with her life since her arrest. 'I'm confused. I miss you guys. I miss my bed. I miss Johnathan. I miss food,' she said. 'I haven't even been able to eat. I've had a couple of pieces of bread in the four days I've been here. And some water.' Toth told her parents that her case was drawing comparisons to another case involving an Orange County woman who had been charged in connection with the death of her child. 'The officers are comparing me to Casey Anthony,' she said. 'Don't listen to them,' her mother said. 'Don't you listen to them.' In another phone call after Toth's arrest, her lawyer and her parents urged her to not communicate with Pursglove. 'Do not have contact with anyone in his family,' her father said. 'I know it's difficult to hear that, but it's a harsh reality right now. And it's going to mean the difference -- it can alter the outcome of this entire thing.' 'Yeah, I can't talk to Johnathan,' Toth said. 'Or his family. Nobody,' her mother said. 'If you do, Tori, you're done.' During that hearing, Judge Gail Adams learned that Toth had moved in with Pursglove's sister. 'What I've heard today could in fact be in violation of her bond,' Adams said. Visitation logs also show Toth returned to the jail to visit Pursglove at least 10 times. A court hearing is scheduled for Friday to determine if adjustments should be made to Toth's bond conditions, because of the revelations of Pursglove's last hearing.

A Texas man was arrested for allegedly slapping a 12-year-old Deer Park boy accused of bullying his stepdaughter in an incident that was caught on surveillance tape, according to news reports. >> Read more trending news  James Olander Peace is facing a felony injury to a child charge, but his wife told KTRK-TV that the court records don’t tell the whole story.  She wanted to remain anonymous but said her daughter was being bullied by two classmates and that her husband was just sticking up for the girl.  They said “that her body was ugly, said that she was a transvestite, started throwing ice cream at her and then they picked up the rocks,' the woman said, according to KTRK. The girl called her parents for a ride, and after Peace picked her up, they saw the two boys, authorities said. 'On the drive home, they happened to see the suspect juvenile walking and that's when the stepdad decided to stop and confront the kid,' Deer Park police Lt. Chris Brown said. The confrontation was caught on a surveillance camera, and Peace was seen shouting and hitting the boy, Brown said. 'He was slapped across the face with an open hand, had red marks and swelling to his cheek and upper jaw,' Brown said. >> Trending: School bus driver on heroin revived with Narcan after crash, police say The news station also reported that court records indicate Peace told the boy not to tell police or he’d beat him up. The boy did tell a teacher about the incident the next day, and Peace was arrested. He’s free on a $15,000 bond.

Police continue to investigate the reported attack against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who told authorities he was assaulted in the predawn hours Jan. 29 by a pair of men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him. >> Read more trending news Update 8:50 p.m. EST Feb. 20: Smollett’s Chicago attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, released a statement following the indictment: “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.” Update 7:44 p.m. EST Feb. 20: The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Jussie Smollett has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report on Jan.29. The charge is a Class 4 felony that carries a possible prison sentence of 1-3 years, but he could also receive probation. The bond hearing has been set for 1:30pm Thursday according to WLS-TV. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that detectives will make contact with his attorneys and negotiate a surrender for his arrest. Update 5:30 p.m. EST Feb. 20:  “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is now considered a suspect and detectives are presenting case to grand jury according to the Chief Communications Officer for Chicago Police Department. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted the news on Wednesday after Smollett’s attorneys met with prosecutors and detectives. Update 4:30 p.m. EST Feb. 20: A police official said lawyers for Jussie Smollett are meeting with prosecutors and police investigators about the reported attack on the “Empire” actor.  Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press the meeting was taking place Wednesday afternoon. He declined to confirm reports that subpoenas had been issued for Smollett’s phone and bank records. Update 2:20 p.m. EST Feb. 20: Officials with 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment on Wednesday denied reports Smollett was being written out of “Empire” in a statement released to WBBM-TV. “Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show,” the statement said. The comment followed reports that Smollett's role on the show was being slashed amid investigations into the actor's report that he was attacked in Chicago last month. Authorities continue to investigate. Update 9:30 a.m. EST Feb. 20: Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself Monday from the investigation into the reported attack against Smollett, according to WMAQ-TV. In a statement emailed to the station, a spokesperson for Foxx’s office said First Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Magats would instead serve as acting state’s attorney in the case. “Out of an abundance of caution, the decision to recuse herself was made to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case,” the statement said, according to WMAQ-TV. No further information was provided on the reason behind for the recusal. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Tuesday that authorities determined a tip they were investigating about a possible sighting of Smollett and the brothers who were previously suspected in the attack were unfounded. “It was not supported by video evidence obtained by detectives,” Guglielmi said. Original report: Authorities are investigating a tip that Smollett was seen in an elevator in his apartment building with two men who have since been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack in downtown Chicago, and were subsequently released without charges, police told The Associated Press. The men, who were identified by attorney Gloria Schmidt as brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, were released without charges Friday after police said new evidence surfaced in the case, according to CNN and police.  >> 'I will only stand for love': 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett performs in California after attack Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press a person who lives in the building or who was visiting someone there reported seeing the Osundairo brothers with Smollett on the night he was attacked. Guglielmi told the AP that as of Tuesday, officers had yet to confirm the account. Smollett told officers he was attacked around 2 a.m. Jan. 29, as he was walking downtown near the Chicago River. He said two men yelled that he was in “MAGA country” -- an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make American Great Again” -- and that they hit him in the face, poured an “unknown substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck, The Associated Press reported. >> Jussie Smollett's attorneys say he will not meet with investigators, despite reports Guglielmi told the AP that Smollett still had a rope around his neck when officers first made contact with him after the alleged attack. Last week, police announced that the 'investigation had shifted' following interviews with the brothers and their release from custody without charges. Police have requested another interview with Smollett. They have declined to comment on reports that the attack was a hoax, a claim Smollett’s attorneys have denied. 'Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying,' Smollett’s attorneys said in a statement late Saturday. Authorities continue to investigate. The Associated Press contributed to this report.