U.S./World category, Page 669
Chief: 3 Baltimore firefighters killed in vacant home blazeVideo
BALTIMORE — Three Baltimore firefighters were killed and a fourth was injured when part of a vacant home collapsed while they were battling a blaze early Monday, the city’s fire chief said. The Baltimore City Fire Department said in a tweet that firefighters were responding to a blaze at the...
Researchers: Shark attacks increase after 3 years of decline
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Shark attacks increased around the world in 2021 following three consecutive years of decline, though beach closures in 2020 caused by the covid-19 pandemic could be making the numbers seem more dramatic than they are, officials said Monday. Researchers with the International Shark Attack File recorded 73...
Judges approve special grand jury in Georgia election probe
ATLANTA — Judges have approved a request for a special grand jury by the Georgia prosecutor who’s investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others broke the law by trying to pressure Georgia officials to throw out Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis last week...
Army: Man who breached Fort Knox gate, tried to ram police fatally shot
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Military police fatally shot a man who breached the main gate at Kentucky’s Fort Knox and tried to run over officers, officials said. The shooting happened early Sunday when the man drove toward Fort Knox police officers after initially fleeing from them through the gate, which...
U.S. puts 8,500 troops on heightened alert amid Russia tensionVideo
WASHINGTON — At President Joe Biden’s direction, the Pentagon is putting about 8,500 U.S.-based troops on heightened alert for potential deployment to Europe to reassure allies amid rising fears of a possible Russian military move on Ukraine. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday no final decisions had been made...
Wireless companies ending 3G service, starting with AT&T
Cathy Gates was doing just fine with a flip phone, but she got rid of it when she was given a 3G smartphone at work. “Later on, about four or five years ago, I got my own, a similar phone, but recently I started having problems with it,” said Gates,...
Another delay for ex-deep-sea treasure hunter stuck in jail
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The long-running case of a former deep-sea treasure hunter marking his sixth year in jail for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of missing gold coins has hit yet another roadblock. Research scientist Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since Dec. 15, 2015, for that...
Police: 6 found dead at Milwaukee home had gunshot woundsVideo
Six people found dead in a Milwaukee home had apparently been shot and investigators are looking for the person or people responsible for the homicides, police said Monday. The victims had injuries that are suspected to have been caused by gunfire, Milwaukee Police Sgt. Efrain Cornejo said in an email...
IRS launches website for claiming part 2 of child tax credit
WASHINGTON — The government launched a revamped website Monday — the first day of tax filing season — to help people who were eligible for the expanded tax credit under last year’s pandemic relief bill claim the second half of the payment they were due. The site, ChildTaxCredit.gov, features a...
Supreme Court to hear challenge to race in college admissions
The conservative-dominated Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a challenge to the consideration of race in college admissions, adding another blockbuster case to a term with abortion, guns, religion and covid-19 already on the agenda. The court said it will take up lawsuits claiming that Harvard University, a private...
Michigan high school reopening nearly 2 months after shooting
OXFORD, Mich. — The Michigan high school where four students were fatally shot in late November will reopen Monday for the first time since the attack with the school’s principal declaring that “we are reclaiming our high school back.” Oxford High School students have been attending classes at other buildings...
Sarah Palin’s covid-19 tests delay libel trial against New York Times
NEW YORK — An unvaccinated former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tested positive for covid-19 Monday, forcing a postponement of a trial in her libel lawsuit against The New York Times. The Republican’s positive test was announced in court just as jury selection was set to begin at a federal courthouse...
Several wounded in shooting in German city; gunman dead
BERLIN — A lone gunman wounded several people at a lecture hall in the southwestern German city of Heidelberg on Monday, police said. Police said in a brief statement that the perpetrator was dead, but didn’t give details of how that happened. They had earlier asked people on Twitter to...
Graduation rates dip across U.S. as pandemic stalls progress
High school graduation rates dipped in at least 20 states after the first full school year disrupted by the pandemic, suggesting the coronavirus may have ended nearly two decades of nationwide progress toward getting more students diplomas, an analysis shows. The drops came despite at least some states and educators...
Assange wins 1st stage in effort to appeal U.S. extradition
LONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Monday won the first stage of his effort to overturn a U.K. ruling that opened the door for his extradition to U.S. to stand trial on espionage charges. The High Court in London gave Assange permission to appeal the case to the U.K....
UAE says it intercepted 2 ballistic missiles over Abu Dhabi
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the skies of Abu Dhabi early Monday, authorities said, the second attack in a week that targeted the Emirati capital. The missile fire further escalates tensions across the Persian Gulf, which...
6 dead at Milwaukee home; homicide investigation underway
MILWAUKEE — Six people were found dead in a Milwaukee home in what police are investigating as multiple homicides, authorities said. Milwaukee police responded about 3:45 p.m. Sunday to assist with a welfare check at the residence where four men and one woman were found dead, Milwaukee Assistant Police Chief...
Jan. 6 panel investigates draft plan to seize 2020 ballotsVideo
WASHINGTON — Congressional investigators have spoken with former Attorney General William Barr about a reported draft executive order to use the National Guard to seize ballot boxes after the 2020 election, according to the chairman of a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “We’ve had...
U.S. draws down Ukraine embassy presence as war fears mount
WASHINGTON — The State Department on Sunday ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion. The department told the dependents of staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv that they must leave the country....
4 killed, 1 hurt in ‘ambush’ shooting at house party near Los AngelesVideo
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Four people were killed and one was wounded when multiple shooters opened fire at a house party near Los Angeles early Sunday, authorities said. Police responded around 1:30 a.m. to reports of shots fired at a home in the city of Inglewood, Mayor James Butts told reporters....
Deaths of Florida’s starving manatees surge amid winter chill
ORLANDO, Fla. — Chilly temperatures are rekindling a manatee die-off in Central Florida’s Indian River. “Winter is here,” said Martine de Wit, a state veterinarian and scientist. Along a Brevard County piece of the Indian River on Thursday, which turned warmer and sunny, a snapshot of the ominous, protracted plight...
Virginia parent accused of misdemeanor for threats to school boardVideo
LURAY, Va. — A Virginia parent has been charged with a misdemeanor for her comments to a local school board weighing whether to align its mask-wearing policy with an executive order by new Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would make masks optional for students. Amelia Ruffner King, 42, of Luray, was...
Yellowstone visits hit record high in 2021, straining staff
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — A record number of visitors flocked to Yellowstone National Park last year despite fewer hotel rooms and campsites being available because of the coronavirus pandemic and construction projects. About 4.86 million visits were tallied in 2021, breaking the prior record set in 2016. It’s a...
Cruise ship changes course after U.S. judge orders seizure
MIAMI — A cruise ship that was supposed to dock in Miami sailed to the Bahamas instead after a U.S. judge granted an order to seize the vessel as part of a lawsuit over unpaid fuel. Cruise trackers show Crystal Symphony currently docked in the Bahamian island of Bimini. Passengers...
Once allies, Stormy Daniels and Avenatti face off at trial
NEW YORK — Stormy Daniels, the porn star who catapulted herself and Michael Avenatti to fame with lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, will have a starring role in court beginning Monday when prosecutors try to prove that the California lawyer cheated her of $300,000 in book proceeds. Her testimony...
