U.S./World category, Page 514
White supremacist gets life sentence for Buffalo supermarket massacreVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A white supremacist who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after relatives of his victims confronted him with the pain and rage caused by his racist attack. Anger briefly turned physical at Payton Gendron’s sentencing when...
Skinny robot documents forces eroding Doomsday Glacier
Scientists got their first up-close look at what’s eating away part of Antarctica’s Thwaites ice shelf, nicknamed the Doomsday Glacier because of its massive melt and sea rise potential, and it’s both good and bad news. Using a 13-foot pencil-shaped robot that swam under the grounding line where ice first...
Ukraine admitted into UN fund that supports small farmers
Ukraine’s small-scale farmers, who are playing a critical role in feeding the population during the war, will be eligible for funding through the U.N.’s International Fund for Agricultural Development following Ukraine’s induction Wednesday into body, officials said. Small farmers in Ukraine “play a fundamental role in feeding the country” during...
Russian journalist sentenced to 6 years over Ukraine posts
MOSCOW — A Russian journalist was convicted of disparaging the military Wednesday and received a six-year prison sentence, the latest punishment in a relentless crackdown on critics of Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. The court in the city of Barnaul in southern Siberia found Maria Ponomarenko guilty of “spreading false information...
NATO chief eyes bigger defense budgets, hard spending target
BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday urged the 30 member countries to commit to spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense by a set date, as Russia’s war on Ukraine and other threats eat into military spending. NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia...
Retail sales jump as Americans defy inflation, rate hikes
WASHINGTON — America’s consumers rebounded last month from a weak holiday shopping season by boosting their spending at stores and restaurants at the fastest pace in nearly two years, underscoring the economy’s resilience in the face of higher prices and multiple interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The government...
Thief admits stealing nearly 200,000 chocolate Easter eggs
LONDON — A man who prosecutors said broke into a U.K. industrial park to steal almost 200,000 chocolate Easter eggs has pleaded guilty to theft and criminal damage. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Joby Pool, 32, used a metal grinder to break through a gate at an industrial park in Telford,...
In Trump probe, feds seek to pierce attorney-client privilege
WASHINGTON — Justice Department prosecutors investigating the mishandling of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida estate are seeking to pierce the attorney-client privilege and want to again question one of the former president’s lawyers before a grand jury, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night. The privilege protects...
Fraternity president, science student among Michigan State shooting victimsVideo
EAST LANSING, Mich. — One student was a fraternity chapter president. Another was a science student with fond memories of her days as a high-school athlete — and the third was a frequent volunteer who wanted to become a pediatrician. Family and friends mourned the deaths of three Michigan State...
Court nixes Fox News’ bid to end voting tech firm’s lawsuit
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Tuesday rejected Fox News’ bid to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit accusing the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-U.S. President Donald Trump. A five-judge panel ruled unanimously against the network, host...
Winner of $2B Powerball jackpot revealed in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The winner of November’s record-high $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot was identified in California on Tuesday, the state lottery announced. California Lottery Director Alva Johnson said the winner was a man named Edwin Castro, but released no other information about him, including his hometown. Castro declined to appear...
Woman accused in dismemberment slaying attacks her attorneyVideo
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A woman accused in a grisly killing and dismemberment case in Wisconsin attacked her attorney Tuesday during a court hearing, moments after a judge agreed to delay her trial. Taylor Schabusiness, 25, was seated in a Brown County circuit court when her attorney, Quinn Jolly, asked...
Man who used stun gun on cop in Jan. 6 riot pleads guilty
A California man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to using a stun gun to attack a Washington, D.C., police officer who was brutally injured while trying to defend the U.S. Capitol from the angry mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Daniel Rodriguez, 40, of Fontana admitted to...
N.J. Gov. Murphy says state will expand AP Black history classes
TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that his administration is expanding Advanced Placement African American Studies courses next year from one school to 26 in New Jersey after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis blocked the course from being taught in public schools in Florida. Murphy’s move comes about...
Kyiv clamors for fighter jets as war nears ‘critical’ phase
BRUSSELS — Ukraine on Tuesday renewed its appeal to Western countries for fighter jets to help frustrate Moscow’s invasion, as senior defense officials from the United States and its NATO allies said the war with Russia is approaching a critical stage. With the war set to enter its second year...
Struggle to get aid to Turkey and Syria after massive earthquake
JINDERIS, Syria — Aid agencies and governments stepped up efforts Tuesday to get help to earthquake-devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, but a week after the disaster many of those left homeless were still struggling to meet basic needs, like finding shelter from the bitter cold. The situation was particularly...
Rumors swirl about balloons, UFOs as officials stay mum
WASHINGTON — Maybe they came from China. Maybe from somewhere farther away. A lot farther away. The downing of four aerial devices by U.S. warplanes has touched off rampant misinformation about the objects, their origin and their purpose, showing how complicated world events and a lack of information can quickly...
18% drop since 2020 in people with reported medical debt
WASHINGTON — The number of people with medical debt on their credit reports fell by 8.2 million — or 17.9% — between 2020 and 2022, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. White House officials said in a separate draft report that the two-year drop...
1st missile strike at aerial object over Lake Huron missed
BRUSSELS — The first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly” in the water before a second one successfully hit, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday. The acknowledgment by Gen. Mark Milley of the errant strike...
Ohio proposal: Get parents’ OK for kids to use social media
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s governor wants the state to require parental consent for kids under 16 to get new accounts on TikTok, Snapchat and other social media platforms. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year budget proposal would create a law that social media companies must obtain a parent’s permission for children...
Ford to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe amid shift to EV future
Ford Motor Co. plans to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, a move the Dearborn automaker announced Tuesday as part of a broader effort to revitalize its Europe business amid “rapidly changing market conditions” and an increasingly competitive electric-vehicle market. The company plans to downsize its European engineering footprint by cutting...
$50M shrine to honor slain priest, 1st U.S. Catholic martyr
OKLAHOMA CITY — The birth of Stanley Francis Rother was by all accounts ordinary, aside from the weather. The Catholic farm boy came into the world during an Oklahoma dust storm. But in life — and in death — he was extraordinary. The 46-year-old priest, shot to death in Guatemala...
Nikki Haley announces presidential campaign, challenging Trump
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. The announcement, delivered in a video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official,...
Amid ChatGPT outcry, some teachers are inviting AI to class
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Under the fluorescent lights of a fifth grade classroom in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie Piercey instructed his 23 students to try and outwit the “robot” that was churning out writing assignments. The robot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus...
New Zealand declares emergency as Cyclone Gabrielle easesVideo
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north, leaving widespread flooding and destruction. A firefighter was missing and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near the country’s largest...
