U.S./World category, Page 899
Ex-cops blame one another, seek own trials in George Floyd’s death
MINNEAPOLIS — Attorneys for four former Minneapolis officers charged in the death of George Floyd say that each client should get his own trial, as the officers try to diminish their roles in the Black man’s death by pointing fingers at one another. Prosecutors say all four officers should be...
10 dead in massive Northern California wildfireVideo
GRIDLEY, Calif. — A Northern California wildfire became the state’s deadliest of the year Thursday when authorities announced seven more deaths, bringing the total to 10 and there was the unnerving prospect the toll would climb as searchers looked for 16 missing people. Butte County sheriff’s deputies and detectives found...
Ukrainian church leader who said covid-19 was ‘God’s punishment’ for gay marriage tests positveVideo
A preeminent religious leader in Ukraine who blamed the coronavirus pandemic on same-sex marriage has tested positive for covid-19. Patriarch Filaret, leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate, was hospitalized and diagnosed with the disease last week, the church said. The church confirmed the Patriarch “showed a positive result...
Judges: Trump can’t exclude people from district drawings
NEW YORK — Saying the president had exceeded his authority, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday blocked an order from President Donald Trump that tried to exclude people in the country illegally from being counted when congressional districts are redrawn. The federal judges in New York, in granting...
Money for $300 unemployment boost to run out after 6 weeks
The temporary $300-a-week unemployment insurance boost implemented by President Donald Trump is about to end, with no extension in sight. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that it has distributed $30 billion of the $44 billion it had set aside for the...
Connecticut police chief hit with federal charges of rigging his hiring
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — The police chief of Connecticut’s largest city was arrested Thursday on federal charges that he teamed with Bridgeport’s personnel director to rig the hiring process to make sure he would get his job. Federal prosecutors in New York and FBI officials in Connecticut announced the arrest of...
U.S. will end current health screening of some travelers
WASHINGTON — The United States plans to end enhanced health screening of travelers from certain countries next week, and those visitors will no longer be funneled through 15 large U.S. airports. Those requirements were imposed in January to prevent the spread of covid-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...
Lawsuit: EPA fails to enforce Chesapeake Bay pollution caps
NORFOLK, Va. — The Environmental Protection Agency has failed to ensure that Pennsylvania and New York are doing enough to reduce pollution that flows from farms and cities into the Chesapeake Bay, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. The federal suit was brought by the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation...
In a year of social distancing, coronavirus alters Sept. 11 remembrancesVideo
NEW YORK — In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped countless American rituals, even the commemoration of 9/11 could not escape unchanged. The 19th anniversary of the terror attacks will be marked by dueling ceremonies at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza and a corner near the World Trade...
Rarely have so many Californians been exposed to such gloomy, unhealthy air
PALO ALTO, Calif. — Shrouded in near darkness, beneath a gloomy, orange sky, Fabian Rios worked to repair a fire hydrant late Wednesday morning. Working alongside the headlights of his truck, the Bay Area utility employee said the lack of light wasn’t troubling him. “The real problem is the ash...
Ohio mother gets 25-year term for leaving her 2 dead babies in cars
TOLEDO, Ohio — The mother of two infants whose remains were left in separate abandoned cars was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Jenna Cisneros had pleaded no contest last month to charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice. Her husband is also charged...
Huge fire breaks out at Beirut port a month after explosion
BEIRUT — A huge fire broke out at Beirut’s port Thursday, raising new panic among residents still struggling with the traumatic effects of the catastrophic explosion at the same site last month. Some sought safety in closed bathrooms or threw open their windows to guard against shattering glass in case...
U.S. layoffs remain elevated as 884,000 seek jobless aid
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week at 884,000, a sign that layoffs are stuck at a historically high level six months after the viral pandemic flattened the economy. The latest figure released by the Labor Department Thursday still far exceeds the number...
Texas fugitive wanted in Georgia deputy shooting captured
DALTON, Ga. — A Texas fugitive who fled into the woods in Georgia after shooting at an officer who pulled him over has been captured, authorities said. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tweeted that Dalton Potter was in custody after authorities surrounded him late Wednesday following another shooting outside the...
California wildfires growing bigger, moving faster than ever
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — When it comes to California wildfires, it now takes days, not decades, to produce what had been seen as a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Last weekend, a fire burning in California’s Sierra National Forest exploded in size, trapping hundreds of Labor Day holiday campers who could only be rescued...
New York gynecologist indicted on federal charges of sexually assaulting patientsVideo
NEW YORK — A former New York gynecologist accused of sexually abusing dozens of patients, including the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, was charged Wednesday with attacking girls and women for nearly two decades using the cover of medical examinations. Prosecutors described the doctor, Robert A. Hadden,...
Utah police vow to work with probe of shooting of autistic boy
SALT LAKE CITY — A police department vowed to cooperate with multiple investigations of the shooting of a 13-year-old autistic boy by officers in the Salt Lake City area. The Salt Lake City Police Department said the officers were called to a home Friday night in Glendale, Utah with a...
Official claims pressure to alter Homeland Security intel to play down threats from Russia
WASHINGTON — An official at the Department of Homeland Security said in a whistle-blower complaint released Wednesday that he was pressured by agency leaders to suppress details in his intelligence reports that President Donald Trump might find objectionable, including intelligence on Russian interference in the election and the threat posed...
Apocalyptic-looking sky hovers over California, Oregon amid uncontrolled wildfiresVideo
Skies above California and Oregon have turned an apocalyptic fiery orange. Massive wildfires fueled by high winds and dry conditions have scorched more than 2.3 million acres across the Western U.S., leaving firefighters scrambling to contain them and residents evacuating the region. A search for “San Francisco sky” on Twitter...
U.S. withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq, Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The United States will pull thousands of troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan by November, the top American commander for the Middle East said Wednesday, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to get America out of “endless wars.” During a visit to...
Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Norwegian lawmaker
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work...
Greece: Fire sweeps through refugee camp on virus lockdown
A major fire swept through a notoriously overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos early Wednesday, burning through container housing and leaving thousands of people in need of emergency shelter. Complicating matters, the Moria camp was under a coronavirus lockdown from an outbreak there when flames gutted much...
Richmond bans guns on public property during protests
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia’s capital city has adopted a law banning guns on public property during protests and other events. The Richmond City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the ordinance, which is aimed at preventing violent confrontations during demonstrations against racial inequality that have continued to take place across...
California wildfire explodes, burning across 25 miles in dayVideo
SHAVER LAKE, Calif. — A Northern California wildfire burning for more than three weeks roared to life after being stoked by high winds, spreading at a ferocious rate across an estimated 25 miles of mountainous terrain and parched foothills and destroying an untold number of homes. As thick smoke choked...
Hobby Lobby faces calls for boycott over pro-Trump store display
Calls for a consumer boycott are being heard after a Hobby Lobby store was photographed with a pro-Trump display in one of its buildings. The image, originally posted to Twitter of the undetermined location arts-and-crafts store, showed “USA vote Trump” in decorative letters at the end of an aisle. Twitter...
