U.S./World category, Page 1276
U.S. economic growth just missed 3 percent mark in 2018
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy slowed in the final three months of last year to an annual growth rate of 2.6 percent, the slowest pace since the beginning of 2018, as the government shutdown and other factors took a toll on growth. Economists believe growth has slowed even more in...
Hyundai, Kia recall over 500K vehicles as fire risk spreads
DETROIT — Hyundai and Kia have added more than a half-million vehicles to 3½-year string of U.S. recalls for engine failures and fires. Three recalls released Thursday by the government add new problems and vehicles to the Korean automakers’ list of safety woes, which have brought hundreds of complaints about...
Rescuers pass water, food to Indonesia mine buried
BOLAANG MONGONDOW, Indonesia — Rescuers have passed water and food to some of the dozens of people trapped in a collapsed Indonesian gold mine, an official said Thursday, calling the grueling rescue effort in a remote inaccessible location a race against time. The national disaster agency said 19 people had...
Ice castles turn farmland into winter wonderlandVideo
NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. — On a clear, frigid night in a courtyard made of walls of ice, Bruce McCafferty and his young son stand mesmerized, bathed in the pulsating rainbow light emanating from a series of stout ice formations. McCafferty and his son Dougie have come out to Ice Castles...
Trump, Kim summit collapses amid failure to reach deal
HANOI, Vietnam — The nuclear summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un collapsed Thursday after the two sides failed to reach a deal due to a standoff over U.S. sanctions on the reclusive nation, a dispiriting end to high-stakes meetings meant to disarm a global threat....
Man, 19, accused of assaulting 81-year-old over MAGA hat
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Authorities say a young man at a New Jersey supermarket assaulted an 81-year-old who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Somerset County prosecutors have charged 19-year-old Ryan Salvagno with assault and harassment. Officials say Salvagno exchanged words with the older man about the hat...
Israel AG recommends charging Netanyahu with with bribery, breach of trust
JERUSALEM — Israel’s attorney general on Thursday recommended indicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with bribery and breach of trust in a series of corruption cases, a momentous move that shook up Israel’s election campaign and could spell the end of the prime minister’s illustrious political career. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit...
WTO panel rules China over-subsidized grain production to undercut global pricesVideo
World Trade Organization officials ruled earlier this week that the Chinese government over-subsidized the country’s grain producers, artificially raising Chinese prices for grain and reducing imports. The WTO’s panel report “is a significant victory for U.S. agriculture that will help American farmers compete on a more level playing field,” USDA...
Coast Guard officer accused of plotting terrorist attack may face more than 30 years
A U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant accused of planning a domestic terrorist attack illegally possessed silencers among the arsenal of weapons prosecutors contend he stockpiled for his plot, according to new court filings. A federal grand jury indicted Christopher Hasson, 49, of Maryland, on Wednesday, adding two new charges related to...
Va. first lady Pam Northam reportedly gave out cotton to black students during tour
Virginia first lady Pam Northam, who told her husband not to moonwalk during a news conference about wearing blackface, reportedly handed out cotton to black students on a tour of the governor’s mansion. Last week, the first lady and her husband, Ralph Northam, hosted about 100 students who had worked...
Jared Kushner seeks better U.S.-Saudi ties after Khashoggi killing
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the administration continues to weather criticism over its relationship with Riyadh following the murder of a U.S.-based columnist. Kushner and two other senior administration officials met with the crown prince and...
Coal official allegedly cheated on safety tests, putting miners at risk of black lung
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A coal company manager took part in cheating on tests designed to protect miners from contracting deadly black lung disease, a federal grand jury has charged. The grand jury issued a new indictment adding Glendal “Buddy” Hardison to a group of mine officials charged with conspiring to...
AAA study: Drivers are spending more time on the road
U.S. motorists are spending more time on the road these days, adding about 20 minutes per week of drive time since 2014, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Released this week, the study compares results of two editions of the foundation’s American Driving Survey, from...
California mother detained in infant death, son’s injuries from plunge off balcony
UPLAND, Calif. — Investigators on Wednesday were trying to determine why a California woman allegedly fatally injured her infant daughter, dropped her young son off a second-story apartment building landing and then jumped herself. After being medically cleared, Tierra Ortega, 24, was booked for investigation of homicide, attempted homicide and...
Amid clouds of dust, border wall prototypes are demolished
SAN DIEGO — The government is demolishing eight prototypes of Donald Trump’s prized border wall that instantly became powerful symbols of his presidency when they were built nine months after he took office. The Trump administration says elements of the prototypes have been melded into current border fence designs and...
Ex-postal manager pleads guilty to stealing $630K in stamps
KENNER, La. — Prosecutors say a former New Orleans-area post office manager has admitted to stealing more than $630,000 in stamps and selling them online to support his gambling addiction. News outlets report U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser says in a statement that 46-year-old Ryan Cortez pleaded guilty Friday to misappropriation...
Military spent about $8M on transgender care since 2016
SAN DIEGO — Lindsey Muller served in the Army as a man for nearly a decade before telling her commanders in 2014 that she identified as a woman and would resign because military policy barred transgender personnel. Her superiors, citing her outstanding performance, persuaded the decorated attack helicopter pilot to...
Man accused of dipping testicles in salsa as payback for low tip
A Tennessee man is facing felony charges for allegedly placing his private parts in someone’s food. Howard Matthew Webb, 31, is accused of dipping his testicles into a low-tipping customer’s salsa, according to The Daily Times. He was a passenger in a car delivering a meal from a Mexican restaurant....
Great horned owl battles red-tailed hawk over nest, guess who wins?Video
It’s not surprising which bird won the battle over a nest in San Francisco earlier this month as evidenced by live webcam footage showing the clash between a red-tailed hawk and a great horned owl. The “Presidio Raptor Cam” documented a red-tailed hawk family last year successfully raising their young...
Witness: Driver in train-car crash was fleeing earlier crash
WESTBURY, N.Y. — A witness told police that the driver who caused a deadly crash by trying to go around a lowered railroad gate on New York’s Long Island was fleeing the scene of an earlier crash, a police official said Wednesday. “The witness said that individual was involved in...
Watch live: Michael Cohen speaks about Trump before House committeeVideo
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, is planning to tell a House committee that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign and that Trump is a “racist,” a “conman” and a “cheat.” Read Cohen’s prepared remarks. The hearing began at...
Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s prepared remarks to Congress
The prepared testimony of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, as released by the House Oversight and Reform Committee before his appearance Wednesday: Chairman Cummings, Ranking Member Jordan, and Members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today. I have asked this Committee to ensure that...
Cohen sticks to Trump accusations, shaking off GOP criticism
WASHINGTON — Shaking off criticism from House Republicans, President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer declared under oath Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time and embraced the news when told that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Michael Cohen also testified that Trump is a “racist,” a...
Trump, Kim share smiles, dinner before nuke talks
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, leaders of two nations with a long history of hostility, opened their second summit Wednesday with smiles, hopeful talk and a friendly dinner that set the stage for the much more difficult talks to come about...
Pakistan says 2 Indian warplanes downed, 2 pilots captured
MUZAFARABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes Wednesday in the disputed region of Kashmir and captured their pilots, its military said, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals to a level unseen in 20 years. India acknowledged one of its air force planes was “lost” in skirmishes with Pakistan...
