U.S./World category, Page 344
Trump White House official Peter Navarro gets a 4-month sentence for defying a House Jan. 6 subpoena
WASHINGTON — Trump White House official Peter Navarro, who was convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced on Thursday to four months behind bars. He was the second Trump aide convicted of...
Artist who performed nude in 2010 exhibit sues MoMA over sexual assault claims
ALBANY, N.Y. — A performer who appeared naked in a show by world-renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art is suing the museum, saying it failed to take action after he was sexually assaulted multiple times by attendees during the performances nearly 14 years...
Alabama man shook violently on gurney during first-ever nitrogen gas execution
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A man put to death using nitrogen gas appeared to shake and convulse on the gurney as Alabama carried out the first-of-its-kind execution that once again placed the United States at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment. Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, was pronounced dead at...
Washington and Baghdad plan to hold talks soon to end presence of U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
WASHINGTON — The U.S. and Iraq expect to begin formal talks soon to wind down the mission of a U.S.-led military coalition formed to fight the Islamic State group in Iraq, both governments said Thursday. The U.S. has had a continuous presence in Iraq since its 2003 invasion. Although all...
Donald Trump testifies in his defense in E. Jean Carroll defamation suit
NEW YORK — He testified for under three minutes. But former President Donald Trump still broke a judge’s rules on what he could tell a jury about writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual assault and defamation allegations, and he left the courtroom Thursday bristling to the spectators: “This is not America.”...
Jersey Shore town trying not to lose the man vs. nature fight on its eroded beaches
NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. — A New Jersey shore town locked in a legal battle with the state over tens of millions of dollars it has spent trying — mostly in vain — to hold back the ocean now is more vulnerable than ever. A recent winter storm destroyed part of...
Man convicted of murder for arson at Japanese anime studio that killed 36
TOKYO — A man was convicted of murder and other crimes Thursday for carrying out a shocking arson attack on an anime studio in Kyoto, Japan, that killed 36 people and drew an outpouring of grief from anime fans worldwide. The Kyoto District Court said it found Shinji Aoba mentally...
Zero-emission goal still eludes the EU, where most cars emit the same CO2 levels as 12 years ago
BRUSSELS — Most passenger cars in the European Union still emit the same quantity of carbon dioxide as 12 years ago, the European Union’s auditing agency warned on Wednesday. The European Court of Auditors said the 27-nation bloc must “shift up gear” to come close to a zero-emissions car fleet,...
W.Va. GOP majority pushes contentious bills arming teachers, restricting bathrooms, books
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Republican-dominated Legislature pushed forward a slate of contentious bills Wednesday that would arm teachers, allow people to sue libraries over books that offend them and restrict where transgender kids can use the bathroom at school. Described by conservatives as efforts to protect children while they...
Deputies find 6 bodies at remote Mojave Desert crossroads
EL MIRAGE, Calif. — Deputies found the bodies of six people at a remote dirt crossroads in the Mojave Desert, a scene described as so grisly that Southern California TV stations blurred some of the images captured by their helicopters overhead. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies responding to a request...
Texas school’s punishment of Black student who wears hair in locs is going to trial
ANAHUAC, Texas — A judge ordered Wednesday that a trial be held next month to determine whether a Black high school student in Texas can continue being punished by his district for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law. Darryl...
Congress demands records from Penn on school’s ‘abysmal’ handling of antisemitism
PHILADELPHIA — A congressional committee investigating the University of Pennsylvania’s handling of antisemitism sent a 14-page letter to the school’s board and interim president Wednesday, requesting a massive amount of information detailing the university’s response to antisemitic incidents on campus. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R.-N.C., chair of the House Committee on...
More than 70 dead after unregulated gold mine collapses in Mali, official says
BAMAKO, Mali — An unregulated gold mine collapsed late last week in Mali, killing more than 70 people, an official said Wednesday, and a search continued amid fears that the toll could rise. Karim Berthé, a senior official at the government’s National Geology and Mining Directorate, confirmed the details to...
In-N-Out to close Oakland, California, restaurant due to wave of car break-ins, armed robberies
OAKLAND, Calif. — In-N-Out Burger will close its only restaurant in Oakland, Calif., because of a wave of car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies targeting customers and employees alike, the company announced. The fast-food burger joint in a busy corridor near Oakland International Airport will close on March...
Ring will no longer allow police to request doorbell camera footage from users
NEW YORK — Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates. In a blog post on Wednesday, Ring said it will sunset the “Request for Assistance” tool, which allows police departments...
Heavy rain soaks Texas and closes schools as downpours continue drenching parts of the country
HOUSTON — Heavy rain in Texas on Wednesday closed schools and elevated flooding risks around Houston in another round of soaking downpours that have made for a soggy and dangerous week across large portions of the United States. A stretch of wet and freezing winter weather has swept away vehicles...
Colorado pastor accused of defrauding investors of $3M via crypto scheme says he got help from ‘the Lord’
DENVER — A Colorado pastor for an online church who is accused of defrauding investors of more than $3.2 million through a cryptocurrency marketplace he ran with his wife says “the Lord” helped him orchestrate the venture. Colorado’s securities commissioner filed civil fraud charges against Eli Regalado and his wife...
Alabama inmate waiting to hear court ruling on scheduled nitrogen gas execution
MONTGOMERY — An Alabama inmate scheduled to be the first person in the United States to be put to death with nitrogen gas is waiting to see if he will receive a last-minute reprieve from federal courts in his bid to halt the execution. Unless blocked by the courts, Alabama...
Ohio bans gender-affirming care and restricts transgender athletes despite GOP governor’s veto
COLUMBUS — Ohio has banned gender-affirming care for minors and restricted transgender women’s and girls’ participation on sports teams, a move that has families of transgender children scrambling over how best to care for them. The Republican-dominated Senate voted Wednesday to override GOP Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. The new law...
Proud Boys member sentenced to 6 years in prison for Capitol riot role after berating judge
WASHINGTON — A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol with fellow Proud Boys extremist group members was sentenced on Wednesday to six years in prison after he berated and insulted the judge who punished him. Marc Bru repeatedly interrupted Chief Judge James Boasberg before he handed down the sentence, calling...
Scientists spot previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins in Antarctica
Previously unknown colonies of emperor penguins have been spotted in new satellite imagery. Emperor penguins, considered “near threatened” with extinction, are the world’s largest penguins. They raise their chicks in Antarctic winter on patches of frozen sea ice. But if the ice breaks up before the chicks have fledged, most...
Hungary is the last holdout for Sweden’s NATO membership. So when will Orbán follow Turkey’s lead?
BUDAPEST, Hungary — With Turkey completing its ratification of Sweden’s bid to join NATO, Hungary is the last member of the military alliance not to have given its approval. After more than a year of delays, and consistent urging from its Western partners to move forward with Sweden’s application, the...
Ford to recall nearly 1.9 million Explorer SUVs to secure trim pieces that can fly off in traffic
DETROIT — Ford is recalling nearly 1.9 million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. because a trim piece can fly off and create a hazard for other drivers. The recall covers Explorers from the 2011 through 2019 model years. Documents posted Wednesday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say...
Russia accuses Kyiv of downing a military transport plane, killing all 74 aboard, including POWs
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday accused Ukrainian forces of shooting down a military transport plane, killing all 74 people aboard, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war being swapped. Ukrainian officials did not immediately confirm or deny Russia’s claims about the crash in Russia’s Belgorod border region, although they said they...
A blast of cold lets gators show off a special skill to survive icy weather
The recent blast of cold weather has given alligators a chance to show off their way of coping with freezing temperatures. The Swamp Park Outdoor Adventure Center in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, posted eerie videos on social media on Sunday showing alligators suspended in frozen ponds with just the...
