U.S./World category, Page 592
‘New normal’ for 8-year-old twin wounded in July 4 parade shooting
Sports-loving Cooper Roberts and his 8-year-old twin brother, Luke, loved the Fourth of July parade in their bucolic Chicago suburb. But now the family is envisioning a “new normal” for Cooper who was struck in the chest in a hail of gunfire that left dozens of others wounded and seven...
Oklahoma governor orders special audit of Tulsa schools
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday called for a special audit of Tulsa Public Schools for what he said was a potential mishandling of public funds. Stitt said he ordered the audit at the request of Tulsa school board members E’Lena Ashley and Jennettie Marshal, who wrote...
IRS asks Treasury watchdog to probe James Comey, Andrew McCabe audits
WASHINGTON — The IRS commissioner has asked the Treasury Department’s internal watchdog to immediately review the circumstances surrounding intensive tax audits that targeted ex-FBI Director James Comey and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, frequent targets of Donald Trump’s ire during his presidency. IRS spokesperson Jodie Reynolds said Thursday the agency...
‘Too much gun violence in city,’ Detroit chief says as officer fatally shot
DETROIT — A Detroit officer and a suspect, who police said was “indiscriminately” firing shots, were killed Wednesday night on the city’s west side, the police chief said, prompting him and other city leaders to decry rising gun violence. Standing outside Sinai-Grace Hospital hours after what he called a “very...
Georgia slabs called satanic by some torn down after bombing
ATLANTA — A rural Georgia monument that some conservative Christians criticized as satanic and others dubbed “America’s Stonehenge” was demolished Wednesday after a predawn bombing turned one of its four granite panels into rubble. The Georgia Guidestones monument near Elberton was damaged by an explosive device, the Georgia Bureau of...
Yellowstone floods reveal forecasting flaws as world warms
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Yellowstone National Park area’s weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce “minor flooding.” A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger...
Wisconsin court rules against transgender sex offender
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled Thursday that a transgender woman cannot change her name because she is on the state’s sex offender registry and the law does not allow people on the registry to change their names. The court’s 4-3 decision upholds the rulings of...
Michigan governor hopeful pleads not guilty in Jan. 6 riot
A Republican candidate for Michigan governor pleaded not guilty Thursday for his actions during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when he says he and other supporters of then-President Donald Trump were exercising their free speech rights. Ryan Kelley appeared via video for a brief hearing...
Russia taking ‘operational pause’ in Ukraine, analysts say
KYIV, Ukraine — Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine as the Russian military attempts to reassemble its forces for a significant - and what it hopes could prove decisive - offensive to conquer the neighboring country. On Wednesday, Russian forces made no claimed...
Former cop Derek Chauvin gets 21 years for violating George Floyd’s civil rights
ST. PAUL, Minn. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Derek Chauvin to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, a move that adds a few years to the time the former Minneapolis police officer is already serving for his murder conviction while transferring him to federal...
More Americans apply for jobless aid for 5th straight week
WASHINGTON — More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week and while layoffs remain low, it was the fifth consecutive week that claims topped the 230,000 mark. Applications for jobless aid for the week ending July 2 rose to 235,000, up 4,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department reported...
Pittsburgh International Airport to get $20 million of FAA’s $1 billion for terminals and upgrades
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is giving nearly $1 billion to 85 airports to expand and upgrade terminals and other facilities, using money approved in last year’s huge infrastructure bill. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the projects will help meet future demand for travel and make flying safer and more...
1st bull run in Pamplona in 3 years takes place; no gorings
PAMPLONA, Spain — The first bull run in three years took place Thursday at the San Fermín festival in the Spanish city of Pamplona. No one was gored, but several runners took knocks and hard falls as tens of thousands people reveled in the return of one of Europe’s most...
From Brexit to Partygate, a timeline of Boris Johnson’s career
LONDON — He was the mayor who basked in the glory of hosting the 2012 London Olympics, and the man who led the Conservatives to a thumping election victory on the back of his promise to “get Brexit done.” But Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister was marred by his...
One scandal too many: British PM Boris Johnson resigns
LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday amid a mass revolt by top members of his government, marking an end to three tumultuous years in power in which he brazenly bent and sometimes broke the rules of British politics. Months of defiance ended almost with a...
Reports: Law enforcement officers shoot man on West Virginia highway
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Several law enforcement authorities shot a man on a federal highway in West Virginia, news outlets reported Wednesday, and video of the shooting was circulating on social media. Authorities did not release details or respond to requests for more information. In the video, the man walks onto...
TikTok sued over deaths of 2 girls performing ‘blackout challenge’
The Social Media Victims Law Center has announced it has filed two wrongful death lawsuits in connection with the deaths of two girls who died while participating in the “blackout challenge” on TikTok. According to the center, the challenge “encourages users to choke themselves with belts, purse strings or other...
Damage reports, power outages reported after Ohio stormVideo
Authorities say tens of thousands of customers were without power and damage reports were coming in after severe weather including a tornado was reported east of Cincinnati. The National Weather Service office in Wilmington said it was receiving “reports of damage throughout our area” and posted a video of damage...
UN: 2.3 billion people severely or moderately hungry in 2021Video
UNITED NATIONS — World hunger rose in 2021, with about 2.3 billion people facing moderate or severe difficulty obtaining enough to eat — and that was before the Ukraine war, which has sparked increases in the cost of grain, fertilizer and energy, according to a U.N. report released Wednesday. “The...
Homes of 85,000 people at risk, but rain eases around SydneyVideo
SYDNEY — Floodwaters inundated or were threatening the homes of 85,000 people around Sydney on Wednesday as rivers started to recede and the heavy rains tracked north of Australia’s largest city. While rain was easing across Sydney, several waterways including the Hawkesbury-Nepean rivers system on Sydney’s northern and western fringes...
Rural Florida county shocked by fentanyl deaths over holiday
TALLAHASSEE — A small, largely rural county west of Florida’s capital saw an unheard-of spike in deadly drug overdoses believed to be caused by fentanyl mixed with other illegal drugs, a sign that the national problem is becoming even more far-reaching. In all of 2021, Gadsden County had just 10...
Ciao! American Kennel Club adds a breed, the bracco Italiano
NEW YORK — U.S. dog lovers, say “benvenuto” to the bracco Italiano. The ancient Italian bird-hunting dog is the 200th member of the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds, the organization announced Wednesday. That means the handsome, powerful but amiable pointers can now go for best in show at...
Police: July 4 mass shooting thwarted in Virginia’s capital
RICHMOND, Va. — Police in Richmond said Wednesday that they thwarted a planned July 4 mass shooting after receiving a tip that led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of multiple guns — an announcement that came just two days after a deadly mass shooting on the...
Sen. Lindsey Graham to fight Georgia election subpoena, lawyers sayVideo
NEW YORK — Attorneys representing Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Wednesday he intends to challenge a subpoena compelling him to testify before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating former President Donald Trump and his allies’ actions after the 2020 election. Graham was one of a handful of...
Judge blocks West Virginia school voucher law
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A judge in West Virginia’s capital struck down a law on Wednesday that would have funneled state money into a program that incentivized families to pull their children out of K-12 public schools. Immediately following the ruling, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said his office plans...
