U.S./World category, Page 777
U.K. government’s plan to toughen voter ID rules draws criticism
LONDON — The British government has announced contentious plans to toughen election voting rules by requiring photo identification at polling stations, a move it says will protect the democratic system against electoral fraud. But opponents and civil liberties groups say the law proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government...
Police: Dunkin’ employee in Florida fatally punched customer who used racial slur
TAMPA, Fla. — Police said a Dunkin’ store employee fatally punched a 77-year-old customer in Florida after the employee said the man repeatedly used a racial slur against him. The victim, a man who police did not name, was punched May 4 and died Friday. That led to a manslaughter...
Gas stations report shortages as pipeline shutdown continuesVideo
CHAMBLEE, Ga. — More than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast reported running out of fuel, primarily because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic-buying among drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day Tuesday. Government officials acted swiftly to waive...
W.Va., Pa. men charged in police assault on Jan. 6 to remain behind bars
Two men charged in the assault of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died after defending the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, must remain behind bars while they await trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan denied pretrial release for George Tanios and Julian Khater, calling...
Lawsuit: New Jersey Hindu temple forced laborers from India to work for $1.20 per hour
FBI agents were at the sprawling site of a Hindu temple Tuesday as a lawsuit filed in federal court alleged workers from marginalized communities in India were lured to the U.S. and forced to work long hours for just a few dollars per day to help build the temple. The...
Judge dismisses NRA bankruptcy case in blow to gun group
DALLAS — A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the National Rifle Association’s bankruptcy case, leaving the powerful gun-rights group to face a New York state lawsuit that accuses it of financial abuses and aims to put it out of business. The case was over whether the NRA should be allowed...
Pentagon chief during Jan. 6 riot defends military response
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s acting defense secretary during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots plans to tell Congress that he was concerned in the days before the insurrection that sending troops to the building would fan fears of a military coup and could cause a repeat of the deadly Kent...
Prosecutor plans to seek death penalty in Georgia spa shootings
ATLANTA — A man accused of killing eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage businesses was indicted Tuesday on murder charges, and a prosecutor filed notice that she’ll also seek hate crime charges and the death penalty. A Fulton County grand jury...
Ransomware gang threatens release of DC police records
A Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate that stole data from the Washington, D.C., police department says negotiations over payment have broken down, with it rejecting a $100,000 payment, and it will release sensitive information that could put lives at risk if more money is not offered. The extortion threat comes amid a...
Prosecutor plans to seek death penalty in Georgia spa shootings
ATLANTA — A man accused of killing eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage businesses was indicted Tuesday on murder charges, and a prosecutor filed notice that she’ll also seek hate crime charges and the death penalty. A Fulton County grand jury...
New survey of U.S. Jews reveals worries, strengths, divisions
A comprehensive new survey of Jewish Americans finds them increasingly worried about antisemitism, proud of their cultural heritage and sharply divided about the importance of religious observance in their lives. The survey, released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, estimated the total Jewish population in the country at 7.5 million...
Texas House OKs bill to ban plant-based foods from using ‘meat’ and ‘beef’ on labels
AUSTIN, Texas — Plant-based and other meatless products could be accused of misleading consumers under a bill approved in the Texas House on Monday. Texas is the latest state to debate measures that would prohibit foods that don’t contain animal products from using words like “meat” or “beef” in their...
Idaho governor signs bill to halt Biden moves on gun laws
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little has signed legislation aimed at thwarting a half-dozen executive actions by President Joe Biden to combat gun violence. The new law came less than a week after a shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school injured two students and a custodian. The Republican...
McDonald’s coffee cups will promote covid-19 vaccine awareness
McDonald’s restaurants have partnered with the Biden administration to promote awareness of the covid-19 vaccine. This summer, customers will see McCafé cups and McDelivery seal stickers that feature the national “We Can Do This” campaign created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the website, vaccines.gov. McDonald’s...
U.S. job openings soar to highest level on record
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted a record number of available jobs in March, illustrating starkly the desperation of businesses seeking to find new workers as the economy expands. Yet total job gains increased only modestly, according to a Labor Department report issued Tuesday. The figures come after the April jobs...
Wall Street opens lower led by more drops in Big Tech stocks
BANGKOK — Shares dropped Tuesday in Asia after selling of several Big Tech companies pulled U.S. benchmarks lower. Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Hong Kong declined while Shanghai advanced. Despite reassurances from the Federal Reserve and a much weaker than expected U.S. jobs reading last week, investors have refocused on the...
Pipeline officials hope most service will be back by weekend
WASHINGTON — Hit by a cyberattack, the operator of a major U.S. fuel pipeline said it hopes to have services mostly restored by the end of the week as the FBI and administration officials identified the culprits as a gang of criminal hackers. U.S. officials sought to soothe concerns about...
Florida teacher gets 15 years for recording naked girls
TAMPA, Fla. — A 52-year-old teacher was sentenced to 15 years in prison for secretly recording videos of students as they changed clothes in his fashion design classroom at a Florida high school. Mark William Ackett also must remain a registered sex offender for the rest of his life. “There’s...
Biden: 1 million sign up for health care during special enrollment
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Tuesday that 1 million Americans had signed up for health insurance under “Obamacare” during a special enrollment period for those needing coverage during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden reopened the HealthCare.gov insurance markets in February for a special six-month sign-up opportunity. “Health care is a...
Pope creates lay ministry to boost supply of faith teachers
ROME —Pope Francis on Tuesday formally created a new lay ministry to encourage greater participation of secular women and men in the teaching of the Catholic faith, especially in places where priests are in short supply. The new law creating the lay ministry of catechists officially recognizes for the universal...
Iran rejects U.S. claim that speedboats sparked encounter
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard on Tuesday rejected the U.S. Navy’s claim that fast-approaching Iranian speedboats in the Strait of Hormuz sparked a tense encounter in the already sensitive region. The Guard’s website, sepahnews.com, published a statement Tuesday saying Americans were guilty of using “false narratives and unprofessional...
Gaza militants, children among 24 dead as Israel hits Hamas
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting the high-rise home of a Hamas field commander and two border tunnels dug by militants, as Hamas and other armed groups fired dozens of rockets toward Israel. The escalation in the conflict was sparked by weeks...
1.4B but no more? China’s population growth closer to zero
BEIJING — China’s population growth is falling closer to zero, government data showed Tuesday, adding to strains on an aging society with a shrinking workforce as fewer couples have children. The population rose by 72 million over the past 10 years to 1.411 billion in 2020, the National Bureau of...
1 killed, suspect caught in shooting at U.S. customs office in Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. — A man was fatally shot Monday outside a U.S. Customs and Immigration Services building in central Florida, and a suspect was taken into custody, authorities said. The shooting happened in an office park in south Orlando, police said. A man and a woman were entering the immigration...
Colorado police seek motive in party shooting that left 7 deadVideo
DENVER — A shooting at a birthday party inside a trailer park home in Colorado Springs that killed six people before the gunman took his own life stunned a state weary of gun violence just weeks after another Colorado mass shooting killed 10 people. Police on Monday were investigating what...
