U.S./World category, Page 760
Judge OKs Weinstein’s extradition for California rape case
A New York judge on Tuesday approved disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s extradition to California, where he faces additional sexual assault charges, ending a legal fight prolonged by the covid-19 pandemic, the defense’s concerns about Weinstein’s failing health and a squabble over paperwork. Judge Kenneth Case said there was no...
Pittsburgh programs among MacKenzie Scott’s $2.7 billion charity donations
MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire philanthropist known for her impromptu multi-billion dollar donations to charities and racial equity causes, announced Tuesday that she has given $2.7 billion to 286 organizations. It is the third round of no-strings-attached, major philanthropic gifts Scott has made, which together rival the charitable contributions made by...
U.S. Park service sued after gate kills Ugandan humanitarian
SALT LAKE CITY — The family of a women’s rights activist from Uganda sued the National Park Service this month after she was decapitated last year by a gate at Utah’s Arches National Park. The gate had been left unlatched against federal policy for two weeks before it struck Esther...
Philips issues voluntary recall for CPAP machines, ventilators
Medical equipment company Philips has issued a recall on some products to address possible health risks associated with a foam component meant to help reduce noise. The polyester-based polyurethane foam in its Bi-Level Positive Airway Pressure (Bi-Level PAP), Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), and mechanical ventilator devices could “degrade into...
Robotic ship sets off to retrace the Mayflower’s journey
SWANSEA, Wales — Four centuries and one year after the Mayflower departed from Plymouth, England, on a historic sea journey to America, another trailblazing vessel with the same name has set off to retrace the voyage. This Mayflower, though, is a sleek, modern robotic ship that is carrying no human...
May retail sales fell 1.3% as Americans spend less on goods
NEW YORK — Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods. Total sales dropped a seasonally adjusted 1.3% in May from the month before, the U.S. Commerce Department said...
Hong Kong watching Chinese nuclear plant after leak reported
HONG KONG — China’s government said Tuesday no abnormal radiation was detected outside a nuclear power plant near Hong Kong following a news report of a leak, while Hong Kong’s leader said her administration was closely watching the facility. The operators released few details, but nuclear experts said that based...
Former lawmaker Rohrabacher confirms he was at Capitol riot
PORTLAND, Maine — Former California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher confirmed he attended the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol after anonymous investigators online identified him in footage. Rohrabacher told the Portland Press Herald on Monday that he did not go into the Capitol building. The Republican served 15 terms in...
Autopsy: Mother overdosed, infant starved to death
PORTLAND, Tenn. — Autopsies in Tennessee show that a 1-year-old child starved to death in his car seat in a house where his mother died of a drug overdose, while his 3-year-old sister, found alive, had tried for days to feed her brother. The bodies of Tiffany Spears, 32, and...
Charitable giving in the U.S. reaches all-time high in 2020
Galvanized by the racial justice protests and the coronavirus pandemic, charitable giving in the United States reached a record $471 billion in 2020, according to a report released Tuesday that offers a comprehensive look at American philanthropy. The Giving USA report says Americans gave more to charity last year than...
Thinner Mints: Girl Scouts have millions of unsold cookies
The Girl Scouts have an unusual problem this year: 15 million boxes of unsold cookies. The 109-year-old organization says the coronavirus — not thinner demand for Thin Mints — is the main culprit. As the pandemic wore into the spring selling season, many troops nixed their traditional cookie booths for...
Police: Alabama fire hydrant plant worker kills 2, wounds 2
ALBERTVILLE, Ala. — A worker who killed two people and wounded two more at an Alabama fire hydrant plant early Tuesday has been found dead, apparently after killing himself in a car, a police chief said. “The person was deceased from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Police...
Biden eases trade friction with EU ahead of Putin summit
BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden on Tuesday moved to end a long-running dispute with the European Union over subsidies for aircraft manufacturers, a major breakthrough in the U.S.-EU trade relationship that comes on the eve of his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The announcement that the two...
Lordstown Motors’ rough road continues; CEO and CFO are out
The top two executives at Lordstown Motors have resigned as problems at the Ohio electric truck startup mount. CEO Steve Burns and Chief Financial Officer Julio Rodriguez stepped down, the company said Monday, sending shares already down 40% this year tumbling more than 17%. The departures were announced on the...
Videos of violent arrests sparked by vaping stir criticism in Ocean City, Md.Video
OCEAN CIY, Md. — Videos showing Ocean City police officers kneeing one Black teen and Tasing another on the Boardwalk of that beach community in separate confrontations that began over vaping are stirring criticism of the department’s use of force in such cases. On June 6, police tried to stop...
Texas power grid strained; manager issues weeklong conservation alert
DALLAS — On the cusp of summer, the electric power grid manager for most of Texas on Monday issued its second conservation alert since the deadly February blackout, calling on users to dial back energy consumption through Friday to avert an emergency. The Energy Reliability Council of Texas said many...
Sheriff: Georgia cashier fatally shot after argument over face masks
DECATUR, Ga. — A grocery store cashier in the Atlanta area was killed and two other people were wounded Monday in a shooting that was a result of an argument over wearing face masks in the supermarket, authorities said. DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox said the shooting occurred inside the...
Illinois chemical plant explosion, fires prompt evacuationsVideo
CHICAGO — An explosion at a northern Illinois chemical plant Monday morning sparked massive fires that sent flames and huge plumes of thick black smoke high into the air and debris raining onto the ground, prompting evacuations. After 7 a.m., emergency crews rushed to the scene of the fire near...
U.S. intel report warns of more violence by QAnon followers
WASHINGTON — A new federal intelligence report warns that adherents of QAnon, the conspiracy theory embraced by some in the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, could target Democrats and other political opponents for more violence as the movement’s false prophecies don’t come true. Many QAnon followers believe former President...
Biden at NATO: Ready to talk China, Russia and soothe allies
BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden made his entrance at the NATO summit aiming to consult European allies on efforts to counter provocative actions by China and Russia while highlighting the U.S. commitment to the 30-country alliance that was frequently maligned by predecessor Donald Trump. The summit Monday comes as Biden...
Operator says China nuclear plant facing ‘performance issue’
HONG KONG — The French joint operator of a Chinese nuclear plant near Hong Kong said Monday that the plant is dealing with a “performance issue” but is currently operating within safety limits, following a report of a potential radioactive leak. The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant is jointly owned by...
Germany seeks to fine app operators for not policing users
BERLIN — German authorities have launched proceedings against Telegram that could see the messenger app’s operators fined for failing to abide by laws requiring social media sites to police their users’ actions. German magazine Der Spiegel reported over the weekend that officials believe use of the Telegram app has reached...
Police: Car plows into protesters in Minnesota, killing 1
MINNEAPOLIS — A woman was killed and another person was injured after being struck by a car during a protest in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood where a Black man was fatally shot earlier this month during an arrest attempt, police said Monday. The suspect was pulled from his car by protesters...
Myanmar puts Suu Kyi on trial on charges critics call bogus
BANGKOK — Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi went on trial Monday on charges that many observers say are an attempt by the junta that deposed her to eliminate her as a political force, erase the country’s democratic gains and cement the military’s power. Suu Kyi’s prosecution poses yet...
At least one of two suspects is a juvenile in Austin shooting that injured 14Video
AUSTIN, Texas — A suspect arrested in connection with the mass shooting on Austin’s 6th Street that wounded 14 is a juvenile, and authorities Sunday were still considering what charges he will face, officials told the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV. Police and prosecutors have up to 48 hours from the time...
