Louisiana state trooper charged in pummeling of Black man
A former Louisiana State Police trooper has been charged with a civil rights violation for pummeling a Black motorist 18 times with a flashlight — the first criminal case to emerge from federal investigations into troopers’ beatings of at least three Black men. A grand jury on Thursday indicted Jacob...
U.S. special envoy to Haiti resigns over repatriation of Haitians from U.S.-Mexico border
Harshly criticizing what he called the United States’ “inhumane” treatment of Haitian migrants and its policy toward Haiti, Daniel Foote, the U.S. diplomat whose reputation for working in some of the world’s most challenging environments made him a top pick by the Biden administration to serve as special envoy to...
Tropical Storm Sam forms; will likely be a hurricane by Friday, experts say
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tropical Storm Sam, the 18th named storm of the season, is expected to be at hurricane strength by Friday, and could be a major hurricane with top winds of 111 mph by late Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Sam formed Thursday from Tropical Depression...
CDC advisers try to work out the details on booster shots
With booster doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine now authorized in the U.S., government advisers reconvened on Thursday to tackle the most contentious question yet: Exactly who should roll up their sleeves right away? Late Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration signed off on extra shots of the Pfizer formula for...
Washington National Cathedral names artist to replace Confederate windows
Washington National Cathedral has chosen contemporary artist Kerry James Marshall, renowned for his wide-ranging works depicting African American life, to design new stained-glass windows with themes of racial justice that will replace a set with Confederate imagery that the landmark sanctuary removed in 2017. The cathedral on Thursday said he...
Polluters pick up tab for restoration of threatened cedar
WOODLAND TOWNSHIP, N.J. — New Jersey plans to restore vast tracts of a coastal tree species threatened by climate change, and will pay for it with money from polluters of groundwater. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday its plan to restore 10,000 acres of Atlantic white cedar...
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids?
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? Experts say there’s no strong evidence that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it’s more contagious. Delta’s ability to spread more easily...
Here’s how thousands of Haitian migrants ended up Texas
DEL RIO, Texas — For the final leg of his journey from Chile to the United States, Haitian migrant Fabricio Jean followed detailed instructions sent to him via WhatsApp from his brother in New Jersey who had recently taken the route to the Texas border. His brother wired him money...
Many migrants staying in U.S. even as expulsion flights rise
DEL RIO, Texas — Three hours after being freed from a giant migrant camp under an international bridge, Mackenson Veillard stood outside a gas station and took stock of his sudden good fortune as he and his pregnant wife waited for a Greyhound bus to take them to a cousin...
Alaska plans to help hospitals with covid-19 crisis care
JUNEAU — Alaska officials outlined plans Wednesday to help hospitals with crisis standards of care if needed amid a surge in covid-19 cases and announced short-term contracts for more than 400 health care personnel to relieve medical facilities with overtaxed staffs. State health commissioner Adam Crum signed an addendum to...
Top Democrats: We have framework to pay for $3.5T bill; no details
The White House and congressional Democrats have agreed to a “framework” of options to pay for their huge, emerging social and environment bill, top Democrats said Thursday, but they offered no details and the significance was unclear. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi...
New Florida bill replicates Texas’ broad abortion ban
TALLAHASSEE — An abortion bill similar to one signed into law in Texas was filed in Florida on Wednesday that would ban most abortions in the state and would allow lawsuits against doctors who violate it. The legislation filed by Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby immediately met with opposition from Democrats...
Pennsylvania school district that shunned mask mandate reverses decision
TAMAQUA — A Pennsylvania school district that openly flouted a statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools has reversed course and said it will require universal masking for students and others inside school buildings. The Tamaqua Area School Board in Schuylkill County voted 6-3 on Tuesday night to comply with the...
FDA backs Pfizer covid-19 boosters for seniors, high-risk
The United States moved a step closer Wednesday to offering booster doses of Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine to senior citizens and others at high risk from the virus as the Food and Drug Administration signed off on the targeted use of extra shots. The FDA authorized booster doses for Americans who...
Parachutists bail in pandemic on West Virginia’s Bridge Day
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Parachutists won’t jump off the nation’s third-highest bridge next month because of worries about sufficient emergency health care amid the coronavirus pandemic, an organizer said Wednesday. Marcus Ellison, an organizer for BASE jumpers, told the Bridge Day Commission on Wednesday that the group will not participate in...
Appeals court throws out ruling on handgun sales to people under 21
RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court on Wednesday threw out a ruling that found a law banning licensed firearms dealers from selling handguns to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond ruled that the case is now...
George Bush to headline fundraiser for Liz Cheney after Trump backs challenger
NEW YORK — Former President George W. Bush will headline a fundraiser next month for top Donald Trump critic Liz Cheney, turning her reelection race into a proxy war of sorts between the ex-presidents who represent two competing factions of the Republican Party. Bush will be the featured guest at...
Mother, daughter charged with murder for ‘outlaw’ butt lift procedures
LOS ANGELES — A mother and daughter have been arrested in Southern California on suspicion of performing “outlaw” buttocks augmentation procedures on women, including one who died, police said Wednesday. Libby Adame, 51, and Alicia Galaz, 23, are accused of performing the “inherently unsafe, FDA unapproved” cosmetic procedures at non-medical...
West Virginia governor withdraws from consideration as boys basketball coach
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has withdrawn from consideration as the coach of a boys high school basketball team where he already is the girls coach. In a letter to the Greenbrier Board of Education on Tuesday, Justice asked that a boys coach be named soon at...
Mormon church to require masks in temples amid covid surge
SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Wednesday that masks will be required inside temples to limit the spread of covid-19. Church leaders said in a statement that masks will be required temporarily in an effort to keep temples open. The message was the...
Policing talks collapse in Congress, a setback for Biden, Democrats
WASHINGTON — Bipartisan congressional talks on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement, top bargainers from both parties said Wednesday, marking the collapse of an effort that began after killings of unarmed Black people by officers sparked protests across the United States. “It was clear that we were not...
Pennsylvania high court OKs ‘comfort dogs’ for witnesses
Canines in the courtroom? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court says yes — under certain conditions. A trial witness may be accompanied by a “comfort dog” if the animal will help yield reliable, complete and truthful testimony, the justices ruled Wednesday in a precedent-setting opinion that established a “balancing test” for Pennsylvania...
Day 4 of search in Florida park for Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito’s boyfriend
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Search teams fanned out Wednesday at a Florida wilderness park to look for the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, the young woman who authorities say was killed while on a cross-country trip with him. The search resumed around 8 a.m. Wednesday at the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve park,...
Covid-19 creates dire U.S. shortage of teachers, school staff
SAN FRANCISCO — One desperate California school district is sending flyers home in students’ lunchboxes, telling parents it’s “now hiring.” Elsewhere, principals are filling in as crossing guards, teachers are being offered signing bonuses and schools are moving back to online learning. Now that schools have welcomed students back to...
Trump sues niece, NY Times over records behind ’18 tax story
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday sued his estranged niece and The New York Times over a 2018 story about his family’s wealth and tax practices that was partly based on confidential documents she provided to the newspaper’s reporters. Trump’s lawsuit, filed in state court in New...
