U.S./World category, Page 807
2 jurors dropped from Derek Chauvin trial after $27M settlement
MINNEAPOLIS — A judge on Wednesday dismissed two jurors who had been seated for the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer accused in George Floyd’s death over concerns they had been tainted by the city’s announcement of a $27 million settlement with Floyd’s family. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill...
Indiana attorney general defends governor’s mask order power
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s attorney general’s office vigorously defended Gov. Eric Holcomb’s emergency powers in response to a restaurant’s lawsuit challenging his order that masks must be worn inside restaurants to stem the spread of the coronavirus. That defense of Holcomb’s action comes even though Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita, who...
St. Patrick’s Day to be largely virtual in NYC for 2nd year
NEW YORK — A largely virtual St. Patrick’s Day was planned for New York City on Wednesday, one year after the annual parade celebrating Irish heritage was canceled because of the pandemic. Although the city’s usual huge parade with floats and marching bands was canceled, Mayor Bill de Blasio joined...
Child border crossings are surging, straining U.S. facilities
WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive, with the head of Homeland Security acknowledging the depth of the problem but insisting it’s under control and saying he won’t revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. The...
2 people dead in Southern California fireworks explosionVideo
ONTARIO, Calif. — Two people were killed when a large fireworks stash exploded Tuesday in inland Southern California, setting off a series of blasts that shattered windows across the residential neighborhood and sent up a huge plume of smoke, authorities said. Authorities — including the FBI — are investigating the...
Massage parlor shootings leave 8 dead, many of Asian descentVideo
ATLANTA — A series of shootings over nearly an hour at three Atlanta-area massage parlors left eight people dead and raised fears that the attack was yet another hate crime against Asian Americans. Police arrested a 21-year-old Georgia man and said the motive wasn’t immediately known, though many of the...
Lobbyist named in $60M Ohio bribery investigation found dead
COLUMBUS — A powerful Ohio lobbyist who spent decades at the center of most of the state’s significant policy battles was found dead in Florida as he faced charges in a sweeping federal bribery investigation, authorities said Tuesday. Neil Clark, 67, was found dead Monday by a bicyclist in an...
U.S.: Putin approved operations to help Trump against Biden
WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to help Donald Trump in last November’s presidential election, according to a declassified intelligence assessment that found broad efforts by the Kremlin and Iran to shape the outcome of the race but ultimately no evidence that any foreign actor changed votes...
Man suspected of killing 4 in fight over stimulus check
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man suspected of killing three adults and a child told police he fatally shot the four victims after he and his girlfriend argued because he wanted a share of her federal covid-19 relief money, according to a court document and one of the girlfriend’s relatives. Malik...
Schools weighing whether to seat students closer together
BOSTON — U.S. guidelines that say students should be kept 6 feet apart in schools are receiving new scrutiny from federal health experts, state governments and education officials working to return as many children as possible to the classroom. Even as more teachers receive vaccinations, the distancing guidelines have remained...
Russia threatens to block Twitter in a month
MOSCOW — Russian authorities said Tuesday they would block Twitter in a month if it doesn’t take steps to remove banned content, a move that escalates the Russian government’s drawn-out standoff with social media platforms that have played a major role in amplifying dissent in Russia. Russia’s state communications watchdog,...
Assistant principal accused in Florida homecoming court vote fraud
An assistant principal at an elementary school is accused of accessing the school district’s internal system to cast fraudulent votes for her daughter who was elected homecoming queen at her high school, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. On Monday, agents arrested Laura Rose Carroll, 50, and her 17-year-old...
Homeland Security chief defends handling of border surge; attempted crossings on pace to hit 20-year peak
WASHINGTON — Faced with a rising number of migrants at the southwest border and criticism from all sides, the Biden administration’s head of Homeland Security insisted Tuesday that the situation is under control as he defended a policy of allowing children crossing by themselves to remain in the country. Homeland...
Naked Cowboy gets hero’s welcome a week after arrest
Attendees at Bike Week in Daytona Beach gave a hero’s welcome to a Times Square performer known as the Naked Cowboy after he returned to the motorcycle festival almost a week after his arrest on a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence and violating a panhandling ordinance. “He’s out!...
Baby bottle craze sweeps Gulf Arab states, sparks backlash
Cafes across several Gulf Arab states started selling coffee and other cold drinks in baby bottles this month, kicking off a new trend that has elicited excitement, confusion — and backlash. The fad began at Einstein Cafe, a slick dessert chain with branches across the region, from Dubai to Kuwait...
Voter outreach led to big drop in rejected mail ballots
The coronavirus pandemic triggered an unprecedented surge in mailed ballots last year, raising concerns that a flood of first-time absentee voters would lead to another record: more ballots tossed out for missing deadlines, signatures or other reasons. Those fears never materialized. An analysis by The Associated Press found that the...
Advocates seek Biden push on gun bills, but prospects iffy
WASHINGTON — After President Joe Biden’s giant covid-19 relief bill passed Congress, he made a prime-time address to the nation and presided over a Rose Garden ceremony. But there wasn’t so much as a statement from the White House after the House passed legislation that would require background checks for...
Family of boy killed by alligator at Disney World urges organ donation
OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska couple whose 2-year-old son died tragically at Walt Disney World nearly five years ago wants more families to consider donating their children’s organs if their child is ever facing death. Matt and Melissa Graves created the Lane Thomas Foundation after their son was killed by...
Israeli experts announce discovery of new Dead Sea scrolls
JERUSALEM — Israeli archaeologists on Tuesday announced the discovery of dozens of new Dead Sea Scroll fragments bearing a biblical text found in a desert cave and believed hidden during a Jewish revolt against Rome nearly 1,900 years ago. The fragments of parchment bear lines of Greek text from the...
Look out, Labs: French bulldogs now 2nd most popular U.S. dog
Could the French bulldog become America’s favorite purebred pooch? After riding a rocket ship to popularity over the last quarter-century, Frenchies came in second only to Labrador retrievers — the leaders for 30 straight years — in the American Kennel Club’s latest rankings, set to be released Wednesday. They reflect...
5 things to know about the expanded Child Tax Credit
While hefty stimulus payments have been the focus of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, parents can expect to see even more money over the course of the next year. The plan expands the Child Tax Credit to ensure more parents get more cash and get it sooner than they...
Denver’s airport reopens after powerful winter stormVideo
DENVER — Denver’s airport reopened Monday after a powerful late winter snowstorm dumped over 3 feet of heavy, wet snow on parts of Colorado and Wyoming, shutting down roads, closing state legislatures in both states and interfering with covid-19 vaccinations. The 27 inches that had fallen by the end of...
Florida man charged with spitting at Disney guard who asked for mask
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida man spat on a security officer at Walt Disney World after she asked him to put on a mask, according to an arrest report released Monday. Kelly McKin, 51, of North Palm Beach, Fla., is facing a charge of battery on a uniformed security officer...
Woman in Uber driver attack to be returned to San FranciscoVideo
LAS VEGAS — A woman arrested in Las Vegas several days after an attack on an Uber driver in San Francisco that was widely viewed on social media agreed Monday to be transferred in custody to California to face criminal charges. Malaysia King’s court appearance in Las Vegas came hours...
‘Amityville Horror’ killer Ronald Defeo Jr. dies in prison at age 69
NEW YORK — Convicted “Amityville Horror” killer Ronald DeFeo Jr., who in 1974 shot and killed his parents and four younger siblings inside their Long Island home in a grisly case that inspired a book and a movie, has died in prison, officials said. He was 69. DeFeo was serving...
