U.S./World category, Page 754
Man gets 6 years in prison in Michigan governor kidnap plot
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A man upset over state-ordered coronavirus restrictions was sentenced to just over six years in prison Wednesday for planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a significant break that reflected his quick decision to cooperate and help agents build cases against others. Ty Garbin admitted his...
Prosecutor: South Dakota attorney general to take plea deal in fatal crash
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg will avoid a trial and take a plea deal on misdemeanor traffic charges in a crash last year in which he hit and killed a man who was walking along a rural highway, a prosecutor said Wednesday. Beadle County State’s Attorney...
U.S. says 1,500 Americans may still await Kabul evacuation
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan, a figure that suggests the U.S. may accomplish its highest priority for the Kabul airlift — rescuing U.S. citizens — ahead of President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline. Untold thousands...
OnlyFans reverses explicit content ban after outcry
OnlyFans says it has suspended a plan to ban sexually explicit content following an outcry from its creators and advocates for sex workers. The subscription site said in a prepared statement Wednesday that the planned ban was “no longer required due to banking partners’ assurances that OnlyFans can support all...
House panel probing 1/6 riot seeks host of Trump-era records
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is demanding a trove of records from federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies, showing the sweep of the lawmakers’ review of the deadly attack by a mob of Donald Trump supporters. The request Wednesday seeks information about...
Charleston church shooter’s death sentence upheld
RICHMOND, Va. — A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld the conviction and sentence of a man on federal death row for the 2015 racist slayings of nine members of a Black South Carolina congregation. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond affirmed Dylann...
Masks ordered for most Florida students, defying Gov. DeSantis
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Just over half of Florida’s 2.8 million public school students now face mandates to wear masks in classrooms as a courtroom battle continues over efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis to leave such decisions up to parents. A majority of school board members in Orange County told...
New N.Y. governor adds 12,000 deaths to publicized covid tally
ALBANY, N.Y. — Delivering another blow to what’s left of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s legacy, New York’s new governor acknowledged on her first day in office that the state has had nearly 12,000 more deaths from covid-19 than Cuomo told the public. “The public deserves a clear, honest picture of...
2 U.S. lawmakers’ Kabul trip prompts Biden administration furyVideo
WASHINGTON — Two members of Congress are facing criticism and questions following their surprise visit to Afghanistan this week, which diverted resources from the U.S.’s chaotic withdrawal, enraged military leaders and led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to declare it not “a good idea.” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Rep. Peter...
U.S. probes possible health incidents that delayed VP Harris trip
HANOI — U.S. officials are continuing to investigate two possible cases of so-called Havana Syndrome health incidents that delayed Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip from Singapore to Vietnam. The investigation was in its early stages and officials deemed it safe for Harris to make her scheduled stop in Vietnam, after...
Pristine Lake Tahoe shrouded in smoke from threatening fireVideo
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Ash rained down on Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and thick yellow smoke blotted out views of the mountains rimming its pristine blue waters as a massive wildfire threatened the alpine vacation spot on the California-Nevada state line. Tourists ducked into cafes, outdoor gear shops and...
NRA cancels annual meeting in Texas because of covid concerns
HOUSTON — The National Rifle Association announced Tuesday it has canceled its annual meeting, which had been set to be held next month in Houston, because of concerns over covid-19. The NRA’s meeting had been set for Sept. 3 through Sept. 5 and would have been attended by thousands of...
Pro-Trump activists Jacob Wohl, John Burkman face $5 million fine for robocalls, FCC says
Two pro-Trump activists who orchestrated a campaign to discourage voting in large cities face a record $5.13 million fine under a tougher law governing robocalls, the Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday. Jacob Wohl, John Burkman and J.M. Burkman & Associates LLC made more than 1,100 prerecorded robocalls to wireless numbers...
Supreme Court orders ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy reinstated
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to block a court ruling ordering the Biden administration to reinstate a Trump-era policy that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the United States. With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court said the administration likely violated...
Missouri man drowns in Lake Michigan after saving 2 boys
RACINE, Wis. — A Missouri man who died after rescuing two young relatives from the choppy waters of Lake Michigan is the fourth person to drown in the lake this summer in the southeastern Wisconsin city of Racine. Racine County sheriff’s officials on Monday identified the man who drowned Sunday...
Crews scour debris for more victims after Tennessee floodsVideo
WAVERLY, Tenn. — Crews with chainsaws and heavy equipment cleared their way through trees densely matted with vegetation, garbage and building debris Tuesday as searchers scoured a normally shallow creek for more flooding victims in rural Tennessee. Even cars and sheds were woven into the tangle of debris lining Trace...
Law named for dead Penn State student boosts hazing penalty
BRANCHBURG, N.J. — Hazing in New Jersey will be met with harsher penalties under a new law named after Tim Piazza, a state native and Penn State student who died in 2017. Gov. Phil Murphy signed Timothy J. Piazza’s Law on Tuesday at Raritan Valley Community College, not far from...
Harris rebukes China in speech on Indo-Pacific vision
HANOI — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a sharp rebuke to China for its incursions in the South China Sea, warning its actions there amount to “coercion” and “intimidation” and affirming that the U.S. will support its allies in the region against Beijing’s advances. “We know that Beijing continues...
A Bronze Star recipient watches the fall of Afghanistan from Congress — and wants answers
WASHINGTON — Jimmy Panetta can’t stop thinking about the narrow streets leading to Kabul’s airport. The former Navy intelligence officer remembers how the snarls of traffic, poor roads and crowds of pedestrians made airport access such a challenge during his tour of duty in 2007 and 2008, and again on...
Disney reaches vaccination agreement with union workers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Florida’s Walt Disney World will now require union employees as well as non-union and salaried workers to be fully vaccinated against covid-19 to keep their jobs at the theme park. The company also said Wednesday it would soon require vaccines for its cruise passengers ages 12...
CIA head meets Taliban leader as fears for Afghanistan grow
The director of the CIA met with the Taliban’s top political leader in Kabul, an official said Tuesday, as more reports emerged of abuses in areas held by the fighters, fueling concerns about Afghanistan’s future and the fate of those racing to leave the country before the looming U.S. withdrawal....
Biden tells G-7 allies he aims to stick to Afghanistan withdrawal deadlineVideo
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden appeared unwilling to bend to pressure, including from European allies, to continue a massive evacuation effort from Afghanistan, planning — for now — to stick to his Aug. 31 deadline for troop withdrawal. On a chaotic day at the White House, Biden delayed scheduled remarks...
Fossil leaves may reveal climate in last era of dinosaurs
WASHINGTON — Richard Barclay opens a metal drawer in archives of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum containing fossils that are nearly 100 million years old. Despite their age, these rocks aren’t fragile. The geologist and botanist handles them with casual ease, placing one in his palm for closer examination. Embedded...
9 women now serving as governors in U.S., tying recordVideo
Taking over on short notice for a scandal-plagued predecessor in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul began her tenure Tuesday with more than enough challenges for a new administration. She also began with an historic opportunity: Hochul is the first woman to hold one of...
Giuliani associate Igor Fruman to change plea in campaign finance case
NEW YORK — A man who helped Rudy Giuliani try to unearth damaging information about President Joe Biden in Ukraine is expected to plead guilty in a case alleging illegal campaign contributions to U.S. politicians, according to a court filing. Igor Fruman was charged in 2019 with arranging hundreds of...
