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Simone Biles has yet another award for her shelf. >> Read more trending news  According to NBC Sports, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Tuesday that the world record-breaking gymnast is the female Olympic athlete of the year. The news came at the 2019 Team USA Awards in Los Angeles, the committee's official website said. The 22-year-old Biles, who made history by earning her 24th and 25th world championship medals this year, won one of nine annual awards presented at the ceremony. Other recipients included skiier and para-cyclist Oksana Masters, female paralympic athlete of the year; figure skater Nathan Chen, male Olympic athlete of the year; archer Ben Thompson, male paralympic athlete of the year; archery coach KiSik Lee, Olympic coach of the year; paratriathlon coach Wesley Johnson, paralympic coach of the year; the U.S. women's World Cup soccer team, Olympic team of the year; the U.S. sled hockey team, paralympic team of the year; and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame swimmer Amy Van Dyken, Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award winner. The show will air at 2 p.m. Dec. 22 on NBC, according to the committee's website. Read more here or here.

Check your pantry, Mondelez Global LLC has announced a recall of some boxes of Cheese Nips. The affected Cheese Nips were recalled after plastic from a dough scraper mixed into the dough. It was noticed when yellow plastic pieces were seen on the manufacturing equipment, the Food and Drug Administration announced. >> Read more trending news  The only boxes recalled were the 11-ounce variety with UPC 0 44000 03453 5 and have the best by dates of May 18, May 19 or May 20, 2020. There have been no reports of illness or injury.  If you have the recalled box, the FDA says throw it away and not eat the crackers. If you have any questions call 844-366-1171. Phones are open 24 hours a day, but consumer relations specialists are available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

A New York man was arrested on animal cruelty charges after authorities said his German shepherd gnawed off one of her legs while chained outside. >> Read more trending news  New York State Police said Tuesday that the dog's owner, 59-year-old Carl K. Pritchard of Exeter, is facing charges of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, as well as failing to provide proper sustenance and appropriate shelter. On Nov. 14, a UPS driver spotted the dog and called police, saying its 'leg had been blown off,' The Associated Press reported. 'She was found with no food and water, living outside in a plastic crate with hay inside,' said police, calling the dog Zoe in a Facebook post. >> See the post here The Susquehanna SPCA, which is caring for the approximately 9-year-old dog, rushed her to a clinic, the AP reported. A veterinarian told the news outlet that Zoe's 'leg was probably injured, and she was trying to take care of it herself.' She also 'is anemic, has a heart murmur and very likely has cancer,' the SPCA said. In a Wednesday Facebook post, the group said Zoe was recovering from surgery at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Animal Hospital. 'The surgeons say they believe they were able to fully remove the mass and successfully amputate her leg,' read the post, adding that the dog 'is doing well.' >> See the update here If you'd like to donate to the Susquehanna SPCA, click here. Read more here or here. – The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Health care, taxes and corruption are just some of the issues that 10 presidential candidates covered in a debate that was contentious at times Wednesday night at the Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta. >> Read more trending news  WSB-TV political reporter Richard Elliot was at the debate as the top Democratic candidates made their cases as to why the public should vote for them for president in 2020. It didn’t take long for them to focus on President Donald Trump and the impeachment inquiry. “We have a criminal living in the White House,” said Sen. Kamala Harris. “We have to establish the principle (that) no one is above the law,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said. “We are absolutely going to confront the president for his wrongdoing,” said South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders also added that Democrats have to talk about more than just going after Trump. “We cannot simply be consumed by Donald Trump, because if we are, you know what? We’re going to lose the election,” Sanders said. More than 1,000 people attended the debate, including Stacey Abrams, former Democratic candidate for Georgia governor. She believes Georgia will be in play in 2020. “What we know is that Georgia is on everyone’s mind. We are a battleground state because we, in a decade, have closed the gap in a presidential race from 8 points to 5 points in 2016 and, (in) my race, 1.4 points,” Abrams said Earlier in the day, Elliot spoke with Marc Lotter, the Trump campaign’s strategic communications director. He said it doesn’t matter what the Democrats do, Georgia is a red state. “I think what they’re trying to do is counter what we have seen happening in so many different places where you’re seeing traditional voting blocs that have been traditionally Democratic, they’re now coming out in support of President Trump,” Lotter said. Ahead of Wednesday’s debate, dozens of people gathered outside the main entrance to Tyler Perry Studios to support their candidates and even protest. WSB-TV’s Dave Huddleston spoke to several of the people in that crowd. Among them were Trump supporters, immigration advocates and a group that supports reparations for years of slavery. 'We need to be seen by the people we vote for. We vote Democratic, like, 90% for the last 60 years, so we want them to know we are here, and we want you to hear our agenda,' said Shameeka Andrews, with American Descendants of Slavery. Protestors were also demanding that the candidates end deportation of immigrants. “We're nonpartisan but we want them to hear our demands to end deportations and stop separating families and we want to decriminalize migration and of course to abolish ICE,' said Kevin Joachin with the Georgia Latino Alliance of Human Rights.  Huddleston also spotted a man circling the block in a truck to show his support for Trump.  The vice chairman of the Democratic committee, Michael Blake, told Huddleston that all this shows that Georgia is a key state in the 2020 presidential election and it's time for change. “Before being Republicans or Democrats, we're Americans. We cannot continue down this road,” Blake said. “This also sends a message to the country. People don't want to just hear that Trump is bad, but what are you saying, as a Democrat, that you're good?” The last time Atlanta hosted a presidential debate was in 1992.

A worker at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Ohio walked in a patient’s room last week and saw a father in bed with his daughter, both in a state of partial undress, authorities said. >> Read more trending news  Now, the Dayton Police Department is investigating possible child abuse involving the 12-year-old girl with developmental disabilities. A social worker at the hospital reported the incident to police. “I’m calling to make a report because I’m not familiar with Ohio law and what constitutes sexual abuse,” the caller told dispatchers. “Dad had his shirt off and he had the girl’s shirt and pants off and was laying along in bed together.” The social worker told the dispatcher she asked the man to leave the hospital, and said his reaction was surprising. “I told dad that I was going to call the cops and he said, ‘yeah, that’s fine,’” she said. Police are investigating whether a crime has occurred, and no charges have been filed.

Ten candidates took the stage Wednesday night in Atlanta for the November Democratic presidential primary debate, including former Vice President Joe Biden; Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii; Sen. Kamala Harris of California; Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont; billionaire entrepreneur Tom Steyer; Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts; and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang. >> Read more trending news  Here are five memorable moments from the event: >> Read the latest from our Washington Insider, Jamie Dupree 1. Gabbard and Harris clash over Democratic Party criticism. While answering a question about her past criticism of 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Gabbard elaborated on what she has previously described as 'the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party.' 'Our Democratic Party, unfortunately, is not the party that is of, by and for the people,' she said. 'It is a party that has been and continues to be influenced by the foreign policy establishment in Washington, represented by Hillary Clinton and others' foreign policy, by the military industrial complex and other greedy corporate interests.' Gabbard added that she wants 'to be the Democratic nominee that rebuilds our Democratic Party, takes it out of their hands, and truly puts it in the hands of the people of this country.' When asked to respond, Harris didn't hold back. 'I think that it's unfortunate that we have someone on this stage who is attempting to be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, who, during the Obama administration, spent four years full time on Fox News criticizing President Obama,' Harris began. 'That's ridiculous, Sen. Harris,' Gabbard interjected. 'That's ridiculous.' Harris continued: '... who has spent full time criticizing people on this stage as affiliated with the Democratic Party, when Donald Trump was elected – not even sworn in – buddied up to Steve Bannon to get a meeting with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower, fails to call a war criminal by what he is as a war criminal, and then spends full time during the course of this campaign, again, criticizing the Democratic Party.' Gabbard fired back, claiming Harris was 'continuing to traffic in lies and smears in innuendos' and would likely 'continue the Bush-Clinton-Trump foreign policy of regime change wars.' >> Watch the exchange here 2. Gabbard and Buttigieg spar over foreign policy. Gabbard also criticized Buttigieg during Wednesday's debate, arguing that the mayor from Indiana lacked foreign policy experience. 'I think the most recent example of your inexperience in national security and foreign policy came from your recent careless statement about how you as president would be willing to send our troops to Mexico to fight the cartels,' Gabbard said. Buttigieg shot back, saying Gabbard had taken his comments 'out of context.' 'I was talking about U.S.-Mexico cooperation,' he said. 'We've been doing security cooperation with Mexico for years, with law enforcement cooperation and a military relationship that could continue to be developed with training relationships, for example. Do you seriously think anybody on this stage is proposing invading Mexico?' 'That's not what I said,' Gabbard interjected. Buttigieg then questioned Gabbard's judgment, particularly over her meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad.  'I have, in my experience – such as it is, whether you think it counts or not since it wasn't accumulated in Washington – enough judgment that I would not have sat down with a murderous dictator like that,' he said. >> See the moment here 3. Booker blasts Biden's position on marijuana laws. While discussing the issues that impact black voters, Booker took aim at Biden, who, according to CNN, said last weekend that he wouldn't back legalizing marijuana nationwide until he sees more evidence that pot isn't a 'gateway drug.' 'I have a lot of respect for the vice president. He has sworn me into my office as a hero,' Booker said. 'This week, I hear him literally say that I don't think we should legalize marijuana. I thought you might have been high when you said it.' Following the remark, which drew laughs from audience members, Booker continued on a more serious note. 'Marijuana in our country is already legal for privileged people,' he said. 'The war on drugs has been a war on black and brown people.' Biden later clarified that although he still has questions about legalizing marijuana, he does support decriminalizing the drug and expunging offenders' records. >> Watch the clip here 4. Biden's comment about African American support sparks confusion. As Biden and Booker continued to discuss race, one remark from the former vice president left some fellow candidates and viewers scratching their heads. 'I'm part of that Obama coalition,' Biden began. 'I come out of a black community, in terms of my support. If you notice, I have more people supporting me in the black community that have announced for me because they know me; they know who I am.' Some of those supporters, he said, include 'three former chairs of the black caucus' and 'the only African American woman that'd ever been elected to the United States Senate,' former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois. Booker and Harris, a black, female senator, immediately took issue with Biden's comments, interjecting, 'That's not true.' 'The other one is here,' Harris pointed out, laughing and shrugging. Biden continued: 'No, I said the first. I said the first African American woman.' >> Watch the moment here 5. Klobuchar says women are held to a 'higher standard.' When asked to clarify a previous comment about whether a woman with Buttigieg's experience would be on the debate stage, Klobuchar elaborated on the challenges facing women in politics. 'I've made very clear I think that Pete is qualified to be up on this stage, and I am honored to be standing next to him, but what I said was true,' she began. 'Women are held to a higher standard. Otherwise, we could play a game called 'Name Your Favorite Woman President,' which we can't do, because it has all been men.' She added: 'We have to work harder, and that's a fact.' >> Click here to watch