U.S./World category, Page 808
White supremacists’ fake bomb threats net 3 years in prison
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A former Old Dominion University student who joined up with white supremacists in a swatting conspiracy that targeted a Black church, his own university and a Cabinet officer, among others, was sentenced to nearly three years in prison Monday. The 33-month sentence for John William Kirby...
Capitol Police to begin moving back fence surrounding complex
WASHINGTON — Congress is not facing the sort of threats that warrant the security fencing that has encompassed the Capitol complex since pro-Trump insurrectionists breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to Capitol Police, which will lead to imminent changes, but not complete removal, of the barrier. Capitol Police told...
3 die when car hits 9 people in San Diego; driver in custodyVideo
SAN DIEGO — A driver plowed through a crowd on a sidewalk under an overpass with homeless tents on a rainy Monday morning in downtown San Diego, killing three people and injuring six others, including two who are hospitalized in critical condition, police said. The driver — whom authorities identified...
U.S. air travel rises to highest levels yet since pandemic hit
Across the United States, air travel is recovering more quickly from the depths of the pandemic, and it is showing up in longer airport security lines and busier traffic on airline websites. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 1.3 million people both Friday and Sunday, setting a new high...
Nebraska declares pro-meat day on Colorado meatless day
OMAHA, Neb. — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts railed Monday against a proclamation by the governor of neighboring Colorado that encourages people to avoid meat for one day a week, calling it a “direct attack on our way of life” and signing a pro-meat declaration of his own. Ricketts surrounded himself...
Myanmar junta orders martial law in 6 Yangon neighborhoods
YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s ruling junta has declared martial law in a wide area of the country’s largest city, as security forces killed dozens of protesters over the weekend in an increasingly lethal crackdown on resistance to last month’s military coup. The United Nations said at least 138 peaceful protesters...
Police say Indiana man killed 4, abducted baby after argument
INDIANAPOLIS — A man suspected of killing three adults and a child and abducting his baby daughter had pulled out a gun and opened fire following a heated argument at an Indianapolis home, police said Monday. The baby’s mother was also wounded in Saturday night’s shootings. The 6-month-old girl was...
U.S. to house up to 3,000 immigrant teens at Dallas site
DALLAS — The U.S. government plans to use the downtown Dallas convention center to hold up to 3,000 immigrant teenagers as sharply higher numbers of border crossings have severely strained the current capacity to hold youths, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention...
Tornadoes reported in Texas Panhandle, no injuries reported
AMARILLO, Texas — Several suspected tornadoes touched down Saturday afternoon in the Texas Panhandle between Lubbock and Amarillo, according to the National Weather Service, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. Two possible tornadoes touched down south of Amarillo, near Palo Duro Canyon State Park, said meteorologist Trent Hoffeditz in...
Men from Morgantown, State College charged in assault of Capitol officer who died after riotVideo
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 riot, but they do not know yet whether it caused the officer’s death. George Tanios, 39, of Morgantown, W.Va., and Julian Khater, 32, of State...
What to do if you are a victim of unemployment fraud
Unemployment fraud in the U.S. has reached dramatic levels during the pandemic — the Labor Department inspector general’s office estimates that more than $63 billion has been paid out improperly through fraud or errors since March 2020. Criminals are seizing on the opportunity created by the pandemic. Using data stolen...
7 jurors picked, 7 to come in ex-cop’s trial in George Floyd death
MINNEAPOLIS — Jury selection continues Monday in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death, with the process halfway complete after the first week. Seven people have been picked to hear evidence in the trial against Derek Chauvin, who is charged with murder and manslaughter....
2 key U.S. Cabinet members visit Japan for China-focused talks
TOKYO — Shared concerns about China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region will take center stage when President Joe Biden’s defense chief and secretary of state visit Japan for their first in-person talks with their Japanese counterparts. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tokyo...
Vatican excludes gay union blessing as God ‘can’t bless sin’
ROME — The Vatican decreed Monday that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.” The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay unions. The answer, contained...
State TV: Iran inaugurates new underground missile facility
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Monday inaugurated a new underground facility designated for missile storage, the country’s state TV reported. The report quotes Guard commander Gen. Hossein Salami as saying that cruise and ballistic missiles will empower the force’s navy even more. The TV report showed footage...
Arrest warrant issued after woman rejects mask at Texas bank
GALVESTON, Texas — An arrest warrant was issued for a woman who refused to wear a mask at a Texas bank, saying to a police officer: “What are you going to do, arrest me?” Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Terry Wright, 65, of Grants Pass, Oregon....
Coworkers: Army reservist charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
WASHINGTON — An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, 30, was employed as a security contractor at a Navy base when he was alleged to have...
IRS online tool lets you track your stimulus money
Once again, the U.S. government is handing out money. And, once again, there’s a way to find out where your check is. A year ago, the IRS launched the online “Get My Payment” tool that let you check your payment status and confirm your payment type: direct deposit or check....
Winter storm closes roads in Wyoming, Colorado, NebraskaVideo
A powerful late winter snowstorm intensified over the central Rocky Mountains on Sunday with heavy snow and wind leading to airport and road closures, power outages and avalanche warnings in parts of Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. The National Weather Service in Wyoming called it a “historic and crippling” winter storm...
London police under pressure over clashes at women’s vigil
LONDON — London’s Metropolitan Police force was under heavy pressure Sunday to explain its actions during a vigil for a woman whom one of the force’s own officers is accused of murdering. Hundreds defied coronavirus restrictions to gather and protest violence against women, but the event ended with clashes between...
2 killed, 13 wounded at party on Chicago’s South Side
CHICAGO — Gunfire erupted at a party on Chicago’s South Side early Sunday, killing two people and wounding 13 others, authorities said. Officers responded at around 4:40 a.m., police spokesman Jose Jara said in a statement. Those shot were between the ages of 20 to 44. Jara earlier said 12...
Democrats bank on relief aid to win back wary working class
JEANNETTE — When Joe Biden visited this corner of southwestern Pennsylvania in the final weeks before the election, his goal wasn’t to win it so much as to show the area’s overwhelmingly white working-class electorate that his party was at least willing to try. “A lot of white, working-class Democrats...
In Louisville, Breonna Taylor’s family honors her legacy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, the slain Black woman’s family continued their call for justice as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in downtown Louisville on Saturday. “Eyes are on Louisville, Kentucky, today so let’s show America what community looks like,” said Taylor’s aunt, Bianca Austin,...
Miami Beach police disperse ‘unruly’ spring break crowd
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Police in Miami Beach kicked off what was expected to be a busy spring break weekend by shooting pepper balls in order to disperse a crowd that had gathered around officers who were making an arrest. The Miami Beach Police Department tweeted Friday night that two...
Calif. Gov. Newsom admits mistakes, says recall isn’t justified
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged mistakes in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, but insists the recall effort against him has more to do with politics than the public health crisis. Newsom made his most direct comments yet about the push to unseat him during an interview...
