U.S./World category, Page 604
Biden tests positive for covid-19, returns to isolation
President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug. White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that Biden...
Democrats seem headed, finally, toward triumph on climate, health
It’s been more than a year in the making and has seen plenty of ups and downs. Now, a Democratic economic package focused on climate and health care faces hurdles but seems headed toward party-line passage by Congress next month. Approval would let President Joe Biden and his party claim...
Iraqi protesters storm parliament in Baghdad, set up sit-in
Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the specter of civil strife. Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas...
Navy expedites waterborne drones to close gap with China
Facing a growing threat from China, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harm’s way. The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep...
House passes semi-automatic gun ban after 18-year lapse
The House passed legislation Friday to revive a ban on semi-automatic guns, the first vote of its kind in years and a direct response to the firearms often used in the crush of mass shootings ripping through communities nationwide. Once banned in the U.S., the high-powered firearms are now widely...
Isolation complication? U.S. finds it’s hard to shun Russia
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration likes to say Russia has become isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine. Yet Moscow’s top officials have hardly been cloistered in the Kremlin. And now, even the U.S. is talking to them. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been meeting with world leaders, including...
States hope for revenue boost with Mega Millions craze
A bump in college scholarships for New Mexico students. A new bike trail nestled in the western slope of Colorado. More homeless shelters in Arizona. When lottery sales soar, those holding the golden ticket aren’t the only ones who win. Across the U.S., state lottery systems use that revenue to...
‘Very hot’ — heat duration records could fall in Northwest
Extreme heat is forecast to stretch through the weekend in the Pacific Northwest and authorities are investigating whether triple-digit temperatures were to blame for the deaths of at least four people. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said at least three people have died from suspected hyperthermia during the heat...
Blinken presses Griner, Whelan deal in call with top Russian
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by phone on Friday and urged Moscow to accept a U.S. offer to release WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan It was Blinken’s first talk with his Russian counterpart since...
Russia, Ukraine trade blame for deadly attack on POW prison
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine accused each other Friday of shelling a prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine, an attack that reportedly killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war captured after the fall of Mariupol, the city where troops famously held out against a monthslong Russian siege....
Wounded Knee artifacts highlight slow pace of repatriations
BARRE, Mass. — One by one, items purportedly taken from Native Americans massacred at Wounded Knee Creek emerged from the dark, cluttered display cases where they’ve sat for more than a century in a museum in rural Massachusetts. Moccasins, necklaces, clothing, ceremonial pipes, tools and other objects were carefully laid...
Zelenskyy visits port as Ukraine prepares to ship out grain
ODESA, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a Black Sea port Friday as crews prepared terminals to export grain trapped by Russia’s five-month-old war, work that was inching forward a week after a deal was struck to allow critical food supplies to flow to millions of impoverished people facing...
Kentucky governor: Death toll from flooding rises to 25
Kentucky’s governor said it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 25 people when torrential rains swamped towns across Appalachia. Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday that the numbers of victims would likely rise significantly as a result of record flash flooding over...
China accuses U.S. of ‘navigation bullying’ in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — China blasted a top U.S. Navy official Friday after he criticized Beijing’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea, saying it’s America’s military deployments in the disputed waters — which it called “navigation bullying” — that could spark confrontations. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said it...
White House to host attorneys to discuss abortion access
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland will headline a White House event Friday that will bring together pro bono lawyers, bar associations and public interest groups to discuss how best to offer legal services and protections for women seeking abortions. The effort is part of an executive order signed by...
W.Va. delays chance to pass 1st new bill since abortion ruling
West Virginia lawmakers passed up the chance Friday to become the first state to approve new legislation restricting access to abortions since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month removing its protected status as a constitutional right. The Republican-dominated Senate adopted its version of a bill along with amendments, one...
Defense contractor held without bail in ID theft mystery
HONOLULU — A U.S. defense contractor and his wife charged with fraudulently living for decades under the stolen identities of two dead infants told family they were going into the witness protection program before abruptly abandoning their house and leaving Texas about 40 years ago, a federal prosecutor said Thursday....
Joe Biden, Xi Jinping could meet in person, U.S. official says
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping are exploring meeting in person, a senior administration official said after the leaders spent more than two hours Thursday talking through the future of their complicated relationship, with tension over Taiwan once again emerging as a flashpoint. Biden conducted the phone...
Russia attacks Kyiv area for 1st time in weeksVideo
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Kyiv area for the first time in weeks Thursday and pounded the northern Chernihiv region as well, in what Ukraine said was revenge for standing up to the Kremlin. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, announced a counteroffensive to take back the...
$1.1B Mega Millions jackpot latest in history of lotteries
DES MOINES, Iowa — At over $1 billion, the Mega Millions jackpot is among the largest lottery prizes ever up for grabs, making it the latest focus of lotteries that have been conducted in the U.S. and around the world for centuries. Only two prizes have grown larger than the...
Explainer: What’s behind the storming of Iraq’s parliament?
BAGHDAD — The followers of the influential populist Shiite cleric came by the thousands to storm Iraq’s parliament. Just as quickly, the protesters dispersed at his command. Mass mobilization and control is a well-worn strategy of Muqtada al-Sadr, a mercurial figure who has emerged as a powerful force in Iraq’s...
5 dead, 66 migrants rescued from waters near Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — At least five migrants drowned and another 66 were rescued on Thursday after a suspected human smuggling boat dropped the group off in waters near an uninhabited island west of Puerto Rico, officials said. Federal and local authorities were still on the scene searching for...
Attacks in central Mali kill 3 civilians, 15 soldiers
BAMAKO, Mali — At least three civilians and 15 soldiers have been killed in separate attacks in central Mali, the army said, the latest round of attacks as insecurity worsens in the West African nation. Two attacks Wednesday targeted Mali army positions in the center of the country, and the...
U.S. economy shrank 0.9% last quarter, its 2nd straight drop
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy shrank from April through June for a second straight quarter, contracting at a 0.9% annual pace and raising fears that the nation may be approaching a recession. The decline that the Commerce Department reported Thursday in the gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of...
JetBlue agrees to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion
JetBlue has agreed to buy Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a deal that would create the nation’s fifth largest airline if approved by U.S. regulators. The agreement Thursday comes a day after Spirit’s attempt to merge with Frontier Airlines fell apart. Spirit had recommended its shareholders approve a lower...
