U.S./World category, Page 1038
Pothole Christmas tree inspires Mississippi pastor to write holiday song
McCOMB, Miss. — A scraggly metal Christmas tree planted in a pothole has inspired a Mississippi minister to pen a holiday song. One bit asks, “If a man can take a pothole and bring the whole world together, the question is what are you doing to spread the Christmas joy?”...
Bankruptcy judge thrust into spotlight in Purdue Pharma case
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The judge overseeing the bankruptcy of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma warns that real-life court cases don’t unfold like “Perry Mason.” But he’s afraid this one might come to resemble “Dr. Strangelove.” U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain of White Plains, N.Y., has a reputation for thorough preparation,...
Santa slammed, shoppers hurt in crush for mall freebiesVideo
Several shoppers were injured when a crowd struggled to catch prizes inside an Australian shopping mall. Balloons containing vouchers for trivial gifts, such as free coffee and parking, were released Tuesday above a crowd of about 150 people at the Westfield Parramatta shopping center in Sydney, reports news.com.au. Video shows...
Teen shot, killed in Missouri in apparent fight over shoes
GRANDVIEW, Mo. — A 20-year-old man was shot and killed in an apparent fight over shoes in suburban Kansas City, police said. Grandview police said an officer responded Sunday night to a reported shooting and found Jaylen Blackmon, of Kansas City, dead on a sidewalk. Witnesses told police that the...
Former Uber CEO Kalanick severs ties with ride-hailing giant
NEW YORK — Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is resigning from the board of directors, severing ties with the ride-hailing company that he co-founded a decade ago and ran until a series of scandals led to his downfall. The departure, announced Tuesday, did not come as a surprise. Kalanick recently...
Trump lashes out as impeachment trial stuck in limbo
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump lashed out Tuesday as his Senate impeachment trial remains at an impasse, with Republican and Democratic leaders at odds over its format and whether witnesses should be called. Speaking at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, after a teleconference call with troops...
Wisconsin city mulls dumping old ban on throwing snowballsVideo
WAUSAU, Wis. — For decades, those who have participated in snowball fights in one Wisconsin city have risked getting in trouble with the law. But that may be about to change. A 1962 ban on throwing projectiles in Wausau lumps snowballs into the same category as rocks and other items...
Chicago fog delays and cancels hundreds of flights on Christmas Eve
CHICAGO — Fog led to hundreds of flight delays and cancellations Tuesday morning, launching a chain reaction that delayed travelers at the city’s two airports as the clock ticked away hours that were to have been spent with loved ones on Christmas Eve. About 5:30 a.m. Central time, as a...
Melania Trump silently forges path through impeachment
WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton spent the morning of her husband’s impeachment visiting Capitol Hill to rally Democrats to his side. Pat Nixon kept assuring reporters her husband wouldn’t quit — right up until he did. Eliza Johnson, frail from tuberculosis, kept watch over her husband during his impeachment while sitting...
Queen Elizabeth II to admit ‘bumpy’ year in Christmas speech
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II plans to acknowledge that both Britain and her family have endured a difficult year by saying during her Christmas message that it has been a “bumpy” time. The pre-recorded message will be broadcast in Britain and the Commonwealth nations on Christmas Day. It was recorded...
San Francisco cafes are banishing disposable coffee cups
SAN FRANCISCO — A new cafe culture is brewing in the San Francisco area, where a growing number of coffee houses are banishing paper to-go cups and replacing them with everything from glass jars to rental mugs and BYO cup policies. What started as a small trend among neighborhood cafes...
Operation Holiday Express brings gifts to U.S. troops in Syria
SHADDADEH, Syria — Hundreds of American troops based in Syria have received Christmas gifts thanks to Operation Holiday Express, launched by U.S.-led coalition forces from across the border in neighboring Iraq. This year, Santa’s sleigh and reindeer were apparently swapped for a workhorse CH-47 Chinook helicopter. But coalition forces still...
No Christmas at Notre Dame, as fire forces Mass into exile
PARIS — Notre Dame Cathedral is unable to host Christmas services for the first time since the French Revolution, because the Paris landmark was too deeply damaged by this year’s fire. So its exiled clergy, choir and congregation are celebrating the holiday in another Gothic church next to the Louvre...
28 killed as bus plunges into ravine in Indonesia
PALEMBANG, Indonesia — A bus plunged into a ravine on Indonesia’s Sumatra island after its brakes apparently malfunctioned, killing at least 28 people and injuring 13 others, police and rescuers said Tuesday. The accident occurred just before midnight Monday on a winding road in South Sumatra province’s Pagaralam district. Palembang...
It takes a tech village to track Santa on Christmas Eve
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Depending on which country they’re from, the kids may ask about Father Christmas, Papa Noel, Saint Nick or Santa Claus. But they all want to know one thing: where in the world the jolly old man and his sleigh full of gifts are on...
Thousands mark Christmas in West Bank town of Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Thousands of Christian pilgrims on Tuesday flocked to the West Bank town of Bethlehem, celebrating Christmas Eve in the traditional birthplace of Jesus. Visitors converged on the town’s large Christmas tree in Manger Square, near the spot believed to mark Jesus’ birthplace. Uniformed Palestinian scouts wearing...
Police: Texas man confessed to killing pregnant sister
THE COLONY, Texas — A 19-year-old Texas man has been charged with capital murder after allegedly confessing to killing his pregnant sister, writing a fake suicide note in her name and leaving her body in an alley, authorities said Monday. Officers arrested Eduardo Arevalo Sunday evening after finding the lifeless...
Saudis sentence 5 people to death for Jamal Khashoggi’s killingVideo
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced five people to death Monday for the killing of Washington Post columnist and royal family critic Jamal Khashoggi, whose grisly slaying in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul drew international condemnation and cast a cloud of suspicion over Crown Prince Mohammed...
Visine eye drops were murder weapon North Carolina man used to kill wife, cops say
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A paramedic from Gaston County is accused of using Visine eye drops to kill his wife last year for a hefty life insurance payout, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance. The eye drops can cause heart failure when ingested in large quantity, which is what...
House committee raises prospect of more impeachment articles
WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee held open the possibility Monday of recommending additional articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as it pressed anew for the testimony of former White House counsel Don McGahn. The committee wants a federal appeals court to order McGahn to testify as it examines...
Trump signs measure to preserve Native languages
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — President Donald Trump has signed a measure that extends federal grant programs aimed at preserving indigenous languages and expands eligibility so more tribes can participate. The president’s signature came Friday, after the measure cleared the U.S. House with bipartisan support. Senate approval came earlier this year. The...
Report: Popular United Arab Emirates chat app ToTok a government spy tool
NEW YORK — A chat app that quickly became popular in the United Arab Emirates for communicating with friends and family is actually a spying tool used by the government to track its users, according to a newspaper report. The government uses ToTok to track conversations, locations, images and other...
Pacific seashell washes up on Outer Banks shores, stumping park service
A lot of crazy things have washed up on the shores of the Outer Banks. But it’s rare to have something show up that baffles the locals. What’s this strange object? A 3½-inch-long yellowish seashell. Of course, it’s not just any seashell. Turns out, it’s one that the National Park...
Pentagon says New Jersey soldier killed in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — A 33-year-old American soldier was killed in combat Monday in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. The Taliban claimed they were behind a fatal roadside bombing in northern Kunduz province. In a statement Monday night, the Pentagon identified the casualty as Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Goble of...
Ukraine, rebels agree on prisoner exchange before year’s end
MOSCOW — Russia’s envoy at talks between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists said Monday that they agreed on conditions for a prisoner exchange following a deal reached by the two nations’ presidents. Boris Gryzlov, who represents Russia in the so-called Contact Group on the conflict in eastern Ukraine, said after Monday’s...
