U.S./World category, Page 782
Biden to announce 300 million covid-19 shots given in 150 days
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is marking another milestone in his quest to bring the covid-19 pandemic under control and help Americans return to a more normal way of life. Biden will announce that 300 million covid-19 shots have been administered in the 150 days since he took office on...
Declaration of Juneteenth holiday sparks scramble in states
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Congress and President Joe Biden acted with unusual swiftness this week in approving Juneteenth as a national holiday, a move that sent many states scrambling to clarify their policies on the observance with less than a business day’s notice. Nearly all states recognize Juneteenth in some fashion,...
Tropical weather lashes Gulf Coast with brisk winds, rain
High winds and heavy rains buffeted coastal Louisiana and Mississippi on Friday as a disorganized and unpredictable tropical weather system churned through the Gulf of Mexico, forcing cancellation of Juneteenth celebrations in Mississippi and Alabama and threatening Father’s Day tourism. The system, moving north toward Louisiana through the Gulf of...
U.S. Catholic bishops OK steps toward possible rebuke of Biden
U.S. Catholic bishops overwhelmingly approved the drafting of a “teaching document” that many of them hope will rebuke Catholic politicians, including President Joe Biden, for receiving Communion despite their support for abortion rights. The result of the vote — 168 in favor and 55 against — was announced Friday near...
Judge: No car show trip for man photographed at Pelosi’s desk during Capitol riot
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A federal judge on Friday said he won’t allow an Arkansas man arrested after he was photographed sitting at a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot to travel for a classic-car swap meet. U.S. District Judge Christopher R....
Father gives daughter life-saving gift as living organ donor
CARRIERE, Miss. — Sitting poolside with his wife and two daughters, Rhett Shaffette says he’s already received the best gift this Father’s Day. His 12-year-old daughter is thriving, eight months after getting a portion of his liver. She received the transplant after nearly losing her life to internal bleeding. “It...
Tight U.S. housing market uncoils with sellers ready to cash out
Prospective home sellers who sat tight as U.S. prices climbed higher and faster than ever during the pandemic are finally emerging to cash out, a step toward easing a dire shortage in the frenzied housing market. The number of U.S. homes for sale climbed 6.7% in early June from the...
Las Vegas weighs tying growth to conservation amid drought
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Record-breaking heat and historic drought in the U.S. West are doing little to discourage cities from planning to welcome millions of new residents in the decades ahead. From Phoenix to Boise, officials are preparing for a future both with more people and less water, seeking to...
Iran votes in presidential poll tipped in hard-liner’s favor
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranians voted Friday in a presidential election that a hard-line protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seemed likely to win, leading to low turnout fueled by apathy and calls for a boycott. Opinion polling by state-linked organizations and analysts indicated that judiciary chief Ebrahim...
3 dead, 2 missing after tubers go over North Carolina dam
EDEN, N.C. — Three people are dead and two remain missing after a group floating down a North Carolina river on inflatable tubes went over a dam, authorities said Thursday. Rockingham County Emergency Services Director Rodney Cates told reporters that a group of nine people tubing on the Dan River...
1 dead, 3 shot, 9 others injured in metro Phoenix shootingsVideo
SURPRISE, Ariz. — One person was killed, three wounded and nine others injured in reported drive-by shootings over a 90-minute span Thursday in three cities west of Phoenix, authorities said. A suspect was detained, but authorities said it remained unclear if that person was responsible for all of the shootings....
Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas fires incendiary balloonsVideo
JERUSALEM — Israel launched airstrikes late Thursday on the Gaza Strip for a second time since a shaky cease-fire ended last month’s 11-day war. The strikes came after activists mobilized by Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers launched incendiary balloons into Israel for a third straight day. There were no immediate reports...
DOJ: West Virginia, Arkansas transgender restrictions unconstitutional
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Department of Justice on Thursday challenged bans involving transgender people that target athletes in West Virginia and children in Arkansas, slamming them as violations of federal law. The department filed statements of interest in lawsuits that seek to overturn new laws in those states. In West...
Tropical storm warning issued for northern Gulf CoastVideo
MIAMI — A tropical storm warning was issued Thursday for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as a potential tropical cyclone advanced toward the northern Gulf Coast. The warning extends from Intracoastal City, La., to the Alabama-Florida border, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Heavy rainfall and flooding...
St. Louis gun-waving couple pleads guilty to misdemeanors
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis couple who gained notoriety for pointing guns at social justice demonstrators last year pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges and agreed to give up the weapons they used during the confrontation. Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. Her husband,...
Weird ‘living fossil’ fish lives 100 years, pregnant for 5
The coelacanth — a giant weird fish still around from dinosaur times — can live for 100 years, a new study found. These slow-moving, people-sized fish of the deep, nicknamed a “living fossil,” are the opposite of the live fast, die young mantra. These nocturnal fish grow at an achingly...
High court sides with Catholic agency in same-sex foster care dispute
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously sided with a Catholic foster care agency that says its religious views prevent it from working with same-sex couples as foster parents. The justices said the city of Philadelphia wrongly limited its relationship with the group as a result of the agency’s...
Scotch whisky makers welcome suspension of costly U.S. tariffs
LONDON — Scotch single malt whisky makers breathed a sigh of relief Thursday after the United States agreed to suspend tariffs on one of Scotland’s main exports following the resolution of a long-standing trade row between the U.S. and the EU over subsidies to aircraft companies Boeing and Airbus. President...
Sunshine, fatalism and 2 world views from 2 world leaders
WASHINGTON — Speaking near the steamy banks of a shimmering lake in Switzerland, one president nonchalantly removed his jacket and spoke confidently about standing up to an adversary. The other held court in a bland, air-conditioned room where he sought to portray strength amid scrutiny of human rights abuses. By...
‘Obamacare’ survives: Supreme Court dismisses big challengeVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court, though increasingly conservative in makeup, rejected the latest major Republican-led effort to kill the national health care law known as “Obamacare” on Thursday, preserving insurance coverage for millions of Americans. The justices, by a 7-2 vote, left the entire Affordable Care Act intact in ruling...
Palestinian teen shot by Israeli troops in West Bank dies
JERUSALEM — The Palestinian health ministry said Thursday that a Palestinian teenager who was shot by Israeli troops in the West Bank a day earlier has died of his injuries. The Israeli military said Wednesday that a soldier stationed near a wildcat settler outpost near the West Bank city of...
Ex-Shake Shack manager accused of poisoning NYPD officers’ shakes sues
NEW YORK — A former New York Shake Shack manager has filed a lawsuit against the Detectives’ Endowment Association, the Police Benevolent Association, and about 20 unnamed officers accusing them of false arrest and defamation. Marcus Gilliam and other employees were accused by officers of serving them poisoned milkshakes last...
Chinese crewed spaceship docks with new space stationVideo
JIUQUAN, China — A Chinese spaceship carrying a three-person crew docked with China’s new space station at the start of three-month mission Thursday, marking a milestone in the country’s ambitious space program. The Shenzhou-12 craft connected with the Tianhe space station module about six hours after takeoff from the Jiuquan...
2 South Carolina executions halted until firing squad formed
COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked the planned executions of two inmates by electrocution, saying they cannot be put to death until they truly have the choice of the firing squad option set out in the state’s newly revised capital punishment law. The high court halted...
Man who drove at Minneapolis protesters charged with murder
MINNEAPOLIS — A St. Paul man accused of speeding up and driving into a group of protesters in Minneapolis while he was drunk, killing one person, was charged Wednesday with intentional second-degree murder. Prosecutors say Nicholas Kraus, 35, was visibly intoxicated Sunday night when he sped up and tried to...
