U.S./World category, Page 1251
Trump answers Romney criticism: ‘I won big, and he didn’t’
WASHINGTON — Faced with biting public criticism from Republican Sen.-elect Mitt Romney, President Donald Trump pushed back Wednesday, reminding him that “I won big, and he didn’t.” Days away from joining the Senate’s Republican majority, Romney broadly criticized Trump’s policies and character in a newspaper column, arguing that the president...
Garbage, feces take toll on national parks amid shutdown
WASHINGTON — Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West’s iconic national parks, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty. “It’s a free-for-all,” Dakota Snider, 24, who...
Catholic bishops to begin prayer retreat on sexual abuse
DETROIT — U.S.-based Roman Catholic bishops will gather Wednesday for a weeklong retreat near Chicago on the church sexual abuse scandal that organizers say will focus on prayer and spiritual reflection and not formulating policy. The retreat begins a day after The Associated Press reported that the Vatican blocked U.S....
Amid shutdown over wall funding, Trump to meet Hill leaders
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is convening a border security briefing Wednesday for Democratic and Republican congressional leaders as a partial government shutdown over his demand for border wall funding entered its 12th day. The president “wants an agreement that reopens the government AND keeps Americans safe,” the White House...
6 sickened on Frontier Airlines flight after drinking from fountains at Cleveland airport
TAMPA, Fla. — Officials say six passengers fell ill on a Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland to Tampa. WFLA-TV reports health officials boarded the plane when it landed at Tampa International Airport on Tuesday afternoon and the sick passengers were removed. Officials say they are being held for observation. The...
Vatican letter undermines U.S. cardinal on clergy sex abuse
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican blocked U.S. bishops from taking measures to address the clergy sex abuse scandal because U.S. church leaders didn’t discuss the legally problematic proposals with the Holy See enough beforehand, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The Nov. 11 letter from the Vatican’s...
Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety
MOSCOW — The family of an American arrested in Russia on espionage charges said Tuesday that he is innocent and that they fear for his safety. Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired Marine, was detained last week by Russia’s domestic security services while he was in Moscow for what they described...
U.S. fires tear gas across Mexico border to stop migrants
TIJUANA, Mexico — U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico during the early hours of the new year to repel about 150 migrants who tried to breach the border fence in Tijuana. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that about 45 migrants got through the first layer...
South Carolina post office could be named for lynched black postmaster
LAKE CITY, S.C. — South Carolina’s congressional delegation wants a post office to be named in honor of a 19th-century postmaster who was lynched because he was black and refused to resign. The state’s entire Washington delegation co-sponsored a bill to name Lake City’s post office after Frazier B. Baker,...
Police: Homicides in Chicago down by nearly 100 in 2018
CHICAGO — Preliminary numbers indicate that homicides in Chicago fell by about 100 last year compared to 2017, though the total again eclipses the number of homicides in Los Angeles and New York combined, according to data released Tuesday. Police in Chicago, the nation’s third largest city, report that 561...
U.S. military tweets, deletes, New Year’s Eve joke about dropping bombs
The U.S. military command responsible for the nation’s nuclear weapons tweeted a New Year’s Eve message Monday afternoon: It is always ready to “drop something much, much bigger” than Manhattan’s iconic Time Square ball. The post and accompanying video went live as the country readied to ring in the new...
Dakota Access pipeline developer slow to replace some trees
BISMARCK, N.D. — The developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline missed a year-end deadline to plant thousands of trees along the pipeline corridor in North Dakota, but the company said it was still complying with a settlement of allegations it violated state rules during construction. Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners,...
130th Rose Parade boasts floral floats, singer Chaka Khan
PASADENA, Calif. — Floral floats and marching bands took to the streets under a sunny California sky as the 130th Rose Parade drew hundreds of thousands of spectators on New Year’s Day and millions more watched on TV. Among the fanciful floats was an award-winning entry from the UPS Store...
Changes may be ahead for criticized Georgia election system
ATLANTA — Georgia’s outdated election system has drawn criticism from cybersecurity experts and voting integrity advocates, and now a commission tasked with examining potential replacements is preparing to make recommendations to lawmakers. The paperless system was closely scrutinized during last year’s nationally watched gubernatorial race between Democrat Stacey Abrams and...
NASA spacecraft opens new year at tiny, icy world past Pluto
LAUREL, Md. — The NASA spacecraft that yielded the first close-up views of Pluto opened the new year at an even more distant world, a billion miles beyond. Flight controllers said everything looked good for New Horizons’ flyby of the tiny, icy object at 12:33 a.m. Tuesday. Confirmation was not...
Hello, 2019: Revelry and reflection greet new year
Fireworks, concerts, spiritual services and political addresses abounded to mark the transition to 2019 as revelers around the globe bid farewell Monday to a year filled with challenges to many of the world’s most basic institutions, including in the realms of politics, trade, alliances and religion. A look at how...
Child hurt falling into rhino exhibit at Florida zoo
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Officials say a child has been injured as a result of falling into the rhinoceros exhibit at a Florida zoo. Brevard County Fire Rescue officials said on Twitter that the boy was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children on Tuesday afternoon in nearby Orlando. The mother...
One winner in New Year’s Day Mega Millions drawing, $4M ticket sold in Pa.
One lucky winner in New York matched all the numbers in the Jan. 1 Mega Millions jackpot worth $425 million. According to CNN, the ticket was sold at Brookville Auto Service in Oyster Bay on Long Island. One ticket worth $4 million was sold in Pennsylvania and six others sold...
