U.S./World category, Page 473
Senators press Moderna CEO on covid-19 vaccine price hike
Moderna’s CEO on Wednesday defended a plan to more than quadruple the company’s covid-19 vaccine price, but he also said the drugmaker will work to ensure patients continue paying nothing at drugstores or clinics. Stephane Bancel told the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that the drugmaker will...
U.S. review of Afghanistan withdrawal to be released in April
WASHINGTON — The results of the long-delayed government review of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan will be released next month, the White House announced Wednesday, with Congress and the public set to see an assessment of what went wrong as America ended its longest war. The August 2021 pullout...
Workplace-safety sanction finalized in Alec Baldwin shooting
No one is objecting to a settlement agreement to resolve allegations of workplace safety violations in the 2021 shooting death of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of a Western movie. After a 20-day vetting period with no objections, the agreement between New Mexico workplace safety regulators and...
DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to high schools
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues a focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run....
Fed raises key rate by quarter-point despite bank turmoil
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve extended its year-long fight against high inflation Wednesday by raising its key interest rate by a quarter-point despite concerns that higher borrowing rates could worsen the turmoil that has gripped the banking system. “The U.S. banking system is sound and resilient,” the Fed said in...
Police: 2 school administrators shot at Denver high school
DENVER — Two school administrators were shot on Wednesday morning at a Denver high school after a handgun was found on a student subjected to daily searches, authorities said. The male, juvenile suspect remained at large and the gun was not immediately recovered following the shooting at East High School,...
Why TikTok’s security risks keep raising fears
The battle between the U.S. and China over TikTok will come into full view Thursday when the social media platform’s CEO testifies before Congressional lawmakers. Shou Zi Chew’s hearing is happening at what he’s called a “pivotal moment” for the hugely popular short video sharing app. TikTok is owned by...
Manhattan DA postpones Trump grand jury session
NEW YORK — Manhattan prosecutors postponed a scheduled grand jury session Wednesday in the investigation into Donald Trump over hush money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign, at least temporarily slowing a decision on whether to charge the ex-president. The postponement was confirmed by four people familiar with the matter...
Officials: 8 dolphins dead after stranding in New Jersey
SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. — Eight dolphins have died after they became stranded on a beach in New Jersey, marine animal welfare officials said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center said on Facebook on Tuesday morning that a pod of eight common dolphins had become stranded in Sea Isle City and...
Trump case recalls John Edwards’ scandal in N.C. Would it play out differently in court?
Former President Donald Trump announced over the weekend that prosecutors were likely to arrest him Tuesday in connection to a $130,000 payment made to keep an adult film star quiet about her alleged tryst with Trump. That didn’t happen Tuesday, but in social media posts and fundraising emails, Trump has...
Vote on Biden’s pick to run FAA delayed amid GOP opposition
A vote on President Joe Biden’s choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration was delayed indefinitely Wednesday in the face of an opposition blitz by Republicans, who say the nominee lacks enough experience in aviation to lead the agency, which is under pressure to stem a surge in dangerous close...
Supreme Court chews on Jack Daniel’s dog toy dispute
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is hearing a spirited dispute Wednesday between whiskey maker Jack Daniel’s and the manufacturer of a squeaking dog toy that parodies the liquor’s bottle and label. The question for the court has to do with whether the toy’s maker infringed on Jack Daniel’s trademarks. Arizona-based...
Sotheby’s hopes for record sale of ancient Hebrew Bible
JERUSALEM — One of the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts, a nearly complete 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible, could soon be yours — for a cool $30 million. The Codex Sassoon, a leather-bound, handwritten parchment tome containing almost the entirety of the Hebrew Bible, is set to go on the block at Sotheby’s...
Trump’s potential indictment caps decades of legal scrutiny
NEW YORK — For 40 years, former President Donald Trump has navigated countless legal investigations without ever facing criminal charges. That record may soon come to an end. Trump could be indicted by a Manhattan grand jury as soon as this week, potentially charged with falsifying business records connected to...
Virginia man gets 4 years for attacking police at Jan. 6 Capitol riot
A Virginia man who assaulted police with a stolen baton and used a flashing strobe light to disorient officers trying to defend the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 was sentenced Tuesday to more than four years in prison. Geoffrey Sills of Mechanicsville, Va., was convicted of assault with a...
Spring brings more wind, rain and snow to soaked CaliforniaVideo
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A strong late-season Pacific storm brought damaging wind and more rain and snow to saturated California on Tuesday as the first full day of spring showed little change from the state’s extraordinary winter. The storm focused most of its energy on central and southern parts of...
‘Don’t Say Gay’ lawmaker pleads guilty to covid relief fraud
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The former Florida lawmaker who sponsored the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” pleaded guilty Tuesday to committing $150,000 in covid-19 relief fraud. Joseph Harding, a 35-year-old Republican, pleaded guilty in Gainesville federal court to wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements in connection with...
Oklahoma court OKs abortion to preserve mother’s life
OKLAHOMA CITY — A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a portion of the state’s near total ban on abortion, ruling women have a right to abortion when pregnancy risks their health, not just in a medical emergency. It was a narrow win for abortion rights advocates since the...
Residents sue Louisiana parish to halt polluting plants
Residents of a Louisiana parish located in the heart of a cluster of polluting petrochemical factories filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday raising allegations of civil rights, environmental justice and religious liberty violations. The lawsuit names St. James Parish as the defendant and says the parish council approved the construction of...
Superbug fungus cases rose dramatically during pandemic
NEW YORK — U.S. cases of a dangerous fungus tripled over just three years, and more than half of states have now reported it, according to a new study. The covid-19 pandemic likely drove part of the increase, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in the...
Video shows Irvo Otieno pinned to floor before his deathVideo
DINWIDDIE, Va. — A large group of sheriff’s deputies and employees of a Virginia mental hospital pinned patient Irvo Otieno to the floor until he was motionless and limp, then began unsuccessful resuscitation efforts, newly obtained surveillance video of the incident earlier this month shows. The footage obtained Tuesday, which...
Fox, Dominion face off over airing of false election claimsVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — Fox News and a voting machine company that claims the conservative network defamed it by amplifying baseless allegations of fraud following the 2020 presidential election faced off in a courtroom Tuesday during a key hearing over whether journalists have a responsibility to be cautious with explosive and...
DEA warns horse tranquilizer xylazine is making fentanyl overdose crisis worseVideo
The drug xylazine, which has been linked to an increase in overdoses, has now been seized in 48 of 50 states, the Drug Enforcement Administration announced in an alert this week. Xylazine, also known as tranq, is often cut with fentanyl. Xylazine is legal as a horse tranquilizer, but it’s...
Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old: ‘I thought I had died’
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day. “I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the...
‘Winnie the Pooh’ film pulled from Hong Kong cinemas
HONG KONG — Public screenings of a slasher film that features Winnie the Pooh were scrapped abruptly in Hong Kong on Tuesday, sparking discussions over increasing censorship in the city. Film distributor VII Pillars Entertainment announced on Facebook that the release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” on Thursday...
