U.S./World category, Page 479
Russian missile barrage slams into cities across Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia unleashed “a massive rocket attack” that hit critical infrastructure and residential buildings in 10 regions of Ukraine, the country’s president said Thursday, with officials reporting at least six deaths in the largest such nighttime attack in three weeks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the barrage that came...
Friend warned police Americans feared missing in Mexico
LAKE CITY, S.C. — The frantic effort to rescue four Americans taken captive in Mexico in a kidnapping that left two dead came after a woman traveling with the group contacted police when they did not return to the U.S. side as expected. Cheryl Orange, who did not cross into...
Norfolk Southern CEO ‘sorry,’ but avoids specifics at Senate hearingVideo
WASHINGTON — Norfolk Southern’s CEO earnestly apologized before Congress on Thursday for last month’s fiery hazardous materials train derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and pledged millions of dollars to help the local town recover. But he stopped short of fully endorsing tougher safety regulations or specific commitments to pay for...
Jaded with education, more Americans are skipping college
JACKSON, Tenn. — When he looked to the future, Grayson Hart always saw a college degree. He was a good student at a good high school. He wanted to be an actor, or maybe a teacher. Growing up, he believed college was the only route to a good job, stability...
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell hospitalized after fall
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at a local hotel, a spokesman for the senator said. The Kentucky senator, who’s 81, was attending a private dinner in Washington on Wednesday when he tripped. He was admitted to a hospital for treatment, spokesman Doug Andres said....
JPMorgan sues former executive over Jeffrey Epstein relationship
NEW YORK — JPMorgan Chase sued its former executive Jes Staley on Wednesday, alleging that he aided in hiding Jeffrey Epstein’s yearslong sex abuse and trafficking in order to keep the financier as a client. The New York bank seeks to hold Staley personally liable for any financial penalties that...
Oldest reference to Odin discovered in Danish treasure
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Scandinavian scientists say they have identified the oldest-known inscription referencing the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed in western Denmark in 2020. Lisbeth Imer, a runologist with the National Museum in Copenhagen, said the inscription represents solid evidence of Odin being worshipped as...
California to end Walgreens $54 million contract after abortion disputeVideo
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday withdrew a $54 million contract with Walgreens after the pharmacy giant indicated it would not sell an abortion pill by mail in some conservative-led states. Newsom on Wednesday ordered state officials to not renew a contract with Walgreens to purchase specialty pharmacy...
Report: 6-year-old won’t be charged after shooting Virginia teacher
RICHMOND — Authorities in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old shot and wounded his teacher will not seek criminal charges against the child, the local prosecutor told NBC News on Wednesday, in a decision that was anticipated by legal experts. But Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn said his office...
Jill Biden calls on men to support women fighting for rights
WASHINGTON — Jill Biden on Wednesday praised a group of women from around the world, including those who have been protesting against Iran’s leaders, for showing courage while fighting for their rights and called on men to “be partners” with women and support them in their cause. “As much as...
3 injured from fiery train derailment caused by rockslide in West Virginia
SANDSTONE, W.Va. — An empty coal train hit a rockslide along tracks Wednesday morning in West Virginia, causing a fiery derailment that injured three crewmembers, CSX Transportation said in a statement. Four locomotives and 22 empty cars derailed in Summers County near the New River, CSX said. The lead locomotive,...
After Breonna Taylor shooting, feds find police discriminationVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Justice Department found Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor. Attorney General Merrick Garland made the announcement Wednesday. A Justice Department report found...
Railroads propose safety reforms after fiery Ohio derailment
OMAHA, Neb. — The major freight railroads announced a number of steps Wednesday that they are taking to improve safety in the wake of last month’s fiery Ohio derailment, but it’s not clear if their actions will be enough to satisfy regulators and members of Congress who are pushing for...
Americans found quickly, but Mexico’s missing remain lost
MEXICO CITY — When four Americans were kidnapped in the border city of Matamoros, authorities rescued the survivors within days, but thousands of Mexicans remain missing in the state long associated with cartel violence — some in cases dating back more than a decade. Mexican authorities quickly blamed the local...
Russian forces claim progress in Bakhmut but no end in sight
KYIV, Ukraine — The owner of Russia’s Wagner Group military contractor claimed Wednesday that his troops have extended their gains in the Ukrainian stronghold of Bakhmut, but it remained unclear how long the grinding fight might go on. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr...
Women’s Day events highlight gaps in gender equality
MADRID — Demonstrations, conferences and artistic events around the world Wednesday marked International Women’s Day, an annual observance established to recognize women and to demand equality for half of the planet’s population. While activists in some parts of the planet noted advances, repression in countries such as Afghanistan and Iran...
January U.S. job openings dip, but still high at 10.8 million
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted 10.8 million job openings in January, indicating the American job market continues to run too hot for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. Job openings fell from 11.2 million in December but remained high by historical standards, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, but layoffs...
Oklahoma voters reject legalizing recreational marijuana
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors. Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis and join conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have approved...
FBI tested by attacks, politically explosive investigations
WASHINGTON — Three days after federal agents searched former President Donald Trump’s Florida home for classified documents, FBI Director Christopher Wray emailed his workforce urging them to tune out criticism from those who “don’t know what we know and don’t see what we see.” The work was done by the...
Elon Musk apologizes after mocking laid-off Twitter employee
SAN FRANCISCO — If you’re not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. And then, sometimes, you get your job back — if you want it. Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed at Twitter, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work...
Women sue Texas over abortion ban, say it risked their lives
AUSTIN — Five women who said they were denied abortions even when pregnancy endangered their lives are suing Texas over its abortion ban, the latest legal fight against state restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. The lawsuit filed Monday in state court said the Texas...
U.S. judge strikes down Missouri gun law as unconstitutional
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri law banning local police from enforcing federal gun laws is unconstitutional and void, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes ruled the 2021 law is preempted by the federal government under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause. “At best, this statute causes...
In reversal, Biden administration weighs detaining migrant families
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is considering detaining migrant families who cross into the U.S. illegally as it prepares to end covid-19 restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. officials familiar with the plans. That would be a major reversal after officials in late 2021 stopped holding families in...
Safety agency opens probe of Norfolk Southern rail accidents
OMAHA, Neb. — Federal investigators are opening a wide-ranging investigation into one of the nation’s biggest railroads following a fiery derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border last month and several other accidents involving Norfolk Southern, including the death of a train conductor Tuesday. The National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday...
Train, dump truck collide at Ohio crossing; conductor killed
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A train and a dump truck collided early Tuesday in Cleveland, killing the train conductor as he stood on the outside of a car, authorities said. The crash happened about 1:30 a.m. when the dump truck — which was carrying a full load of limestone — approached...
