U.S./World category, Page 311
Oklahoma prepares to execute man convicted of 2002 double slaying
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is preparing to execute a man convicted of shooting and killing two people in Oklahoma City more than two decades ago. Michael Dewayne Smith, 41, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection Thursday after his conviction and death sentence for the slayings of Janet Moore, 41,...
Powerball jackpot jumps to $1.23 billion after another drawing without a big winner
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot has increased to an estimated $1.23 billion after another drawing without a big winner Wednesday night. The numbers selected were: 11, 38, 41, 62, 65 and the Powerball 15. The jackpot, which now ranks as the eighth-largest in U.S. lottery history, has been...
Family, friends recall dedication of World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes that killed seven aid workers in Gaza reverberated around the world, as friends and relatives mourned the losses of those who were delivering food to besieged Palestinians with the charity World Central Kitchen. Killed were three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American Canadian dual citizen...
Key Bridge collapse could be largest-ever financial maritime loss
BALTIMORE — The deadly collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge could rival or beat the maritime industry’s largest-ever financial loss, with insurance claims expected to reach $1 billion or more. “It’s going to be a big claim, and the big number there is the potential cost to rebuild the...
Texas state attorney tells court state immigration law maybe went ‘too far’
WASHINGTON — A Texas state attorney told a federal appeals court that the state may have gone “too far” in passing a law that allows state officials to effectively deport immigrants, part of oral arguments Wednesday in the federal government’s push to block the law. The state has asked the...
FCC plans to restore net neutrality repealed by Trump administration
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday said it plans to vote later this month to restore the principle of net neutrality adopted during the Obama administration but repealed under Donald Trump. “After the prior administration abdicated authority over broadband services, the FCC has been handcuffed from acting to...
Judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to delay hush-money trial until Supreme Court rules on immunity
NEW YORK — A judge on Wednesday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial until the Supreme Court rules on presidential immunity claims he raised in another of his criminal cases — spurning another of the former president’s ploys to put off the historic...
New Jersey’s 3 nuclear power plants seek to extend licenses for another 20 years
The company that owns New Jersey’s three nuclear power plants said Wednesday it will seek federal approval to operate them for another 20 years. The move comes as New Jersey makes a strong push to become the East Coast leader in offshore wind. But the three power plants run by...
Ugandan court rejects bid to nullify anti-gay law that provides for the death penalty in some cases
KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday upheld an anti-gay law that allows the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” despite widespread condemnation from rights groups and others abroad. President Yoweri Museveni signed the bill into law in May last year. The law is supported by many in the East...
Man is arrested in Easter brunch shooting in Nashville that left 1 dead, 5 injured
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Police arrested a Tennessee man who is suspected of opening fire during Easter brunch at a Nashville restaurant, killing one person and injuring five more. Anton Rucker was taken into custody Tuesday in Princeton, Kentucky, after Nashville police detectives located him at a residence there, according to...
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert hospitalized for blood clot, undergoes surgery
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert underwent surgery for a blood clot after being admitted to a Loveland, Colo., hospital with severe leg swelling Monday afternoon, campaign officials announced Tuesday night. Boebert, 37, was admitted to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland with severe swelling in her upper left leg...
Prosecutors in Trump’s classified documents case sharply rebuke judge’s unusual and ‘flawed’ order
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors chided the judge presiding over former President Donald Trump’s classified documents case in Florida, warning her off potential jury instructions that they said rest on a “fundamentally flawed legal premise.” In an unusual order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had asked prosecutors and defense lawyers to...
Man who used megaphone to lead attack on police during Capitol riot gets over 7 years in prison
WASHINGTON — A Washington state man who used a megaphone to orchestrate a mob’s attack on police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol was sentenced on Wednesday to more than seven years in prison. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth said videos captured Taylor James Johnatakis playing a leadership role during the...
Strongest earthquake in 25 years rocks Taiwan, killing 9 people and stranding 70 workers in quarries
HUALIEN, Taiwan — The strongest earthquake in a quarter-century rocked Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding dozens of workers at quarries and sending some residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings. The quake, which also injured more than 1,000, was centered off the coast...
North Korea says it tested a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile that’s easier to hide
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Wednesday it had tested a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile powered with solid propellants, extending a run of weapons tests that’s deepening a nuclear standoff with neighbors and the United States. With the supposed success of the demonstration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un...
Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in its cloud computing unit AWS
Amazon said Wednesday it will cut hundreds of jobs in its cloud computing unit AWS as part of a strategic shift. The company will trim “a few hundred roles” in the team that overlooks technology for physical stores, a move that comes just a day after Amazon said it was...
Russia: U.S. shares blame in a concert hall attack claimed by Islamic militants
TALLINN, Estonia — The head of Russia’s national security council on Wednesday contended that the U.S. shares blame for the attack by gunmen on a Moscow concert hall that killed 145 people, even though a branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility. Since the March 22 attack at...
Ukraine lowers its conscription age to 25 to plug a shortfall in troop numbers fighting Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine on Wednesday lowered the military conscription age from 27 to 25 in an effort to replenish its depleted ranks after more than two years of war following Russia’s full-scale invasion. The new mobilization law came into force a day after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed it....
EPA didn’t declare a public health emergency after fiery Ohio train derailment
The aftermath of last year’s fiery train derailment in eastern Ohio doesn’t qualify as a public health emergency because widespread health problems and ongoing chemical exposures haven’t been documented, federal officials said. The Environmental Protection Agency never approved that designation after the February 2023 Norfolk Southern derailment even though the...
Pope shows off rosary of slain Ukrainian soldier, denounces ‘madness of war’
ROME — Pope Francis led thousands of people in a moment of silence Wednesday to pray for the aid workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza and a young Ukrainian soldier named Oleksandre who was killed in ”this madness of war.” Francis appealed anew for an immediate cease-fire in...
Tsunami threat largely passes after strong earthquake strikes TaiwanVideo
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The tsunami threat from a strong earthquake that struck Taiwan has largely passed. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its forecast from 9.8 feet to 3.3 feet. One island had a wave of about a foot, while smaller waves were detected in other islands. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary...
Video shows California deputies fatally shooting abducted teen as she runs toward them
LOS ANGELES — A teenage girl who had been kidnapped by her father was following a sheriff’s deputy’s instructions and appeared to be surrendering when other deputies fatally shot her during a gun battle on a Southern California highway, according to recently released video and audio. Savannah Graziano, 15, was...
Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after months of delays by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been idling at the White House for months. The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It...
Deadly severe weather roars through several states, spawning potential tornadoesVideo
Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes. In West Virginia, about 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state by poweroutage.us. Meanwhile, a...
U.S. job openings rise modestly to 8.8 million in February in strong labor market
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings barely changed in February, staying at historically high levels in a sign that the American job market remains strong. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 8.76 million job vacancies in February, up modestly from 8.75 million in January and about what economists had...
