U.S./World category, Page 771
Hamas defiant with military parade, appearance of top leader
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hundreds of masked Hamas fighters brandishing assault rifles paraded in Gaza City and the group’s top leader made his first public appearance on Saturday, in a defiant show of strength after the militants’ 11-day war with Israel. Saturday marked the first full day of a...
Correctional officers charged with sleeping night of Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide dodge jail time in proposed deal
NEW YORK — Two federal correctional officers accused of sleeping on the job and browsing the internet the night Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself will dodge jail time under a proposed deal with prosecutors. Tova Noel and Michael Thomas will complete 100 hours of community service and be under pretrial supervision...
Infrastructure deal slips, GOP pans $1.7 trillion White House offer
WASHINGTON — Prospects for an ambitious infrastructure deal were thrown into serious doubt late Friday after the White House reduced President Joe Biden’s sweeping proposal to $1.7 trillion but Republican senators rejected the compromise as disappointing, saying “vast differences” remain. While talks have not collapsed, the downbeat assessment is certain...
Fuller picture emerges of suspected serial killer in Mexico
MEXICO CITY — A fuller picture began to emerge Friday of the apparently affable 72-year-old former butcher who hacked up one woman in the basement of his home and is suspected of killing many others. The stocky, short suspect has been identified only as “Andrés” under Mexican laws protecting a...
Biden, South Korea’s Moon ‘deeply concerned’ about North Korea
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday said he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in remain “deeply concerned” about the situation with North Korea, and announced he will deploy a new special envoy to the region to help refocus efforts on pressing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Moon,...
Biden bestows Medal of Honor on Korean War veteran
President Joe Biden awarded his first Medal of Honor on Friday to a 94-year-old retired Army colonel for bravery under enemy fire more than a half-century ago in the Korean War. It took a policy change for retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. to receive the military’s highest honor. The 2020...
The 1995 Diana interview with BBC: A look at the pivotal moment in time
LONDON — The respected British broadcaster BBC is facing questions about its integrity following a scathing report on its explosive 1995 interview with Princess Diana. Britain’s justice secretary said Friday that the government would review the rules governing oversight of the BBC after an investigation found that one of its...
7 nooses halt construction at Connecticut Amazon warehouse
WINDSOR, Conn. — Amazon has temporarily shut down a new warehouse construction site in Connecticut after a seventh noose was found hanging over a beam, a series of incidents local police called “potential” hate crimes. Another rope tied like a noose was discovered Wednesday at the site in Windsor, about...
Wyoming senator discloses impregnating 14-year-old at 18
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming state Sen. Anthony Bouchard, a Republican trying to unseat U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney next year, disclosed that he impregnated a 14-year-old girl when he was 18, describing the relationship as “like the Romeo and Juliet” story and saying it was coming to light because of “dirty...
Palestinians see victory in Gaza truce as Israel warns Hamas
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinians rallied by the thousands Friday after a cease-fire took effect in the latest Gaza war, with many viewing it as a costly but clear victory for the Islamic militant group Hamas. Israel vowed to respond with a “new level of force” to further hostilities....
New Jersey beaches paid for by all, but parking rules keep outsiders away
DEAL, N.J. — New Jersey’s wide, sandy beaches have been paid for by taxpayers across the U.S., from wheat farmers in Kansas to fishermen in Alaska. But for decades, local governments in some Jersey Shore towns — and elsewhere around the country — have used a variety of tactics to...
Foundation raises $1 billion to fight anti-Asian hate
A foundation launched by prominent Asian American business leaders earlier this month said Thursday it has raised more than $1 billion to support Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The announcement from The Asian American Foundation, or TAAF, came minutes after President Joe Biden signed legislation aimed at curtailing the...
Biden signs bill to counter spike in anti-Asian hate crime
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday signed legislation to curtail a dramatic rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and expressed pride that lawmakers who seem to agree on little else came together against hate and racism. Biden lavished praise on Democrats and Republicans for approving...
Feds seize 68 big cats from ‘Tiger King Park’ in Oklahoma
THACKERVILLE, Okla. — Federal authorities have seized 68 big cats from an animal park in Oklahoma featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King.” The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that the seizure of the federally protected lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids and a jaguar as part of a court-approved agreement to resolve...
Israel, Hamas agree to cease-fire to end bloody 11-day war
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire Thursday, halting a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead. At 2 a.m. local time, just as the...
Experts predict busy Atlantic storm season but not like 2020
The Atlantic hurricane season will be busier than normal, but it’s unlikely to be as crazy as 2020’s record-shattering year, meteorologists said Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted that the hurricane season, which runs from June through November, will see 13 to 20 named storms. Six to 10...
Judge drops murder charges against 2 Mississippi cops
JACKSON, Miss. — A state judge in Mississippi dismissed murder charges Thursday against two police officers accused of body-slamming and beating a Black man. The ruling by Hinds County Judge Faye Peterson ended the trial of former Jackson officers Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley, news outlets reported. She said prosecutors...
GOP not budging on infrastructure offer in Biden talks
WASHINGTON— Senate Republicans have not substantially budged off their initial $568 billion infrastructure proposal despite overtures from the White House to work toward a compromise as President Joe Biden tries to strike a bipartisan agreement on his sweeping $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. The lack of any sizable movement beyond the...
U.S. ends use of 2 immigration jails accused of mistreatment
WASHINGTON — A detention facility in Georgia where women claim they were subjected to unwanted medical procedures and a Massachusetts jail that has drawn complaints of inhumane conditions will no longer be used to detain immigrants, the Biden administration said Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security said it would terminate...
Colorado students rebuked for reenacting George Floyd death
DENVER — Leaders in a northern Colorado school district are condemning a social media post in which three high school students — one in blackface — reenacted the death of George Floyd. The photo, which appeared to be originally posted to Snapchat, showed a student in blackface lying on the...
Ohio pandemic unemployment overpayments hit $2.1 billion
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state made about $2.1 billion in unemployment insurance overpayments during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ohio’s human services agency. That figure includes overpayments that were the result of fraud or errors, Matt Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said Monday. Errors...
Filing: Ex-Boston mayor knew of abuse claims against top cop
BOSTON — Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was aware of decades-old domestic violence allegations against the city’s now embattled top cop before picking him to lead the department, the police commissioner’s predecessor told a court this week. The statement came in a case brought by Dennis White, who is urging...
2 reporters detained during protest over Black man’s death
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Police have arrested several people during protests in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, including two journalists who were covering the demonstration the day after a district attorney cleared sheriff’s deputies in the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. The two journalists who were arrested Wednesday night work...
U.S. jobless claims fall again as some states end extra $300-a-week federal aid
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week — the latest encouraging sign for the rebounding U.S. economy — just as Republican-led states are moving to cut off a federal benefit for the jobless. Twenty-two states, from Texas and Georgia to Ohio and Iowa, plan to begin blocking a...
Putin to would-be aggressors: ‘Will knock their teeth out’
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged Thursday that some of the country’s foreign foes dream about biting off pieces of the country’s vast territory, warning that Moscow would “knock their teeth out” if they ever try. In strong remarks during a meeting with officials, the Russian president noted that...
