U.S./World category, Page 795
Feds seize 68 big cats from ‘Tiger King Park’ in Oklahoma
THACKERVILLE, Okla. — Federal authorities have seized 68 big cats from an animal park in Oklahoma featured in Netflix’s “Tiger King.” The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that the seizure of the federally protected lions, tigers, lion-tiger hybrids and a jaguar as part of a court-approved agreement to resolve...
Israel, Hamas agree to cease-fire to end bloody 11-day war
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire Thursday, halting a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill and left more than 200 people dead. At 2 a.m. local time, just as the...
Experts predict busy Atlantic storm season but not like 2020
The Atlantic hurricane season will be busier than normal, but it’s unlikely to be as crazy as 2020’s record-shattering year, meteorologists said Thursday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted that the hurricane season, which runs from June through November, will see 13 to 20 named storms. Six to 10...
Judge drops murder charges against 2 Mississippi cops
JACKSON, Miss. — A state judge in Mississippi dismissed murder charges Thursday against two police officers accused of body-slamming and beating a Black man. The ruling by Hinds County Judge Faye Peterson ended the trial of former Jackson officers Desmond Barney and Lincoln Lampley, news outlets reported. She said prosecutors...
GOP not budging on infrastructure offer in Biden talks
WASHINGTON— Senate Republicans have not substantially budged off their initial $568 billion infrastructure proposal despite overtures from the White House to work toward a compromise as President Joe Biden tries to strike a bipartisan agreement on his sweeping $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan. The lack of any sizable movement beyond the...
U.S. ends use of 2 immigration jails accused of mistreatment
WASHINGTON — A detention facility in Georgia where women claim they were subjected to unwanted medical procedures and a Massachusetts jail that has drawn complaints of inhumane conditions will no longer be used to detain immigrants, the Biden administration said Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security said it would terminate...
Colorado students rebuked for reenacting George Floyd death
DENVER — Leaders in a northern Colorado school district are condemning a social media post in which three high school students — one in blackface — reenacted the death of George Floyd. The photo, which appeared to be originally posted to Snapchat, showed a student in blackface lying on the...
Ohio pandemic unemployment overpayments hit $2.1 billion
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state made about $2.1 billion in unemployment insurance overpayments during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Ohio’s human services agency. That figure includes overpayments that were the result of fraud or errors, Matt Damschroder, director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said Monday. Errors...
Filing: Ex-Boston mayor knew of abuse claims against top cop
BOSTON — Former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was aware of decades-old domestic violence allegations against the city’s now embattled top cop before picking him to lead the department, the police commissioner’s predecessor told a court this week. The statement came in a case brought by Dennis White, who is urging...
2 reporters detained during protest over Black man’s death
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Police have arrested several people during protests in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, including two journalists who were covering the demonstration the day after a district attorney cleared sheriff’s deputies in the shooting death of Andrew Brown Jr. The two journalists who were arrested Wednesday night work...
U.S. jobless claims fall again as some states end extra $300-a-week federal aid
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week — the latest encouraging sign for the rebounding U.S. economy — just as Republican-led states are moving to cut off a federal benefit for the jobless. Twenty-two states, from Texas and Georgia to Ohio and Iowa, plan to begin blocking a...
Putin to would-be aggressors: ‘Will knock their teeth out’
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged Thursday that some of the country’s foreign foes dream about biting off pieces of the country’s vast territory, warning that Moscow would “knock their teeth out” if they ever try. In strong remarks during a meeting with officials, the Russian president noted that...
10 seconds of terror: Alaska man survives brown bear mauling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Allen Minish was alone and surveying land for a real estate agent in a wooded, remote part of Alaska, putting some numbers into his GPS unit when he looked up and saw a large brown bear walking about 30 feet away. “I saw him and he saw...
Court: Faulty breast implant victims should get compensation
PARIS — A French appeal court has ruled that around 2,700 victims of a breast implant scandal are entitled to compensation. The court said that German company TUV Rheinland committed negligence by certifying them as safe. Thursday’s ruling, which might not be final and could go to another higher court,...
U.S., Russia at odds over military activity in the Arctic
REYKJAVIK. Iceland — The Biden administration is leading a campaign against Russian attempts to assert authority over Arctic shipping and reintroduce a military dimension to discussions over international activity in the area. As Russia assumed the rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council on Thursday, the U.S. rallied other members to...
Greek villages, monasteries evacuated as fire damages homes
LOUTRAKI, Greece — A large wildfire in Greece gutted and damaged dozens of homes and prompted evacuations Thursday as it tore through rugged forest terrain. No injuries were reported. Fire department officials said 17 water-dropping planes and three helicopters were involved to try to contain the blaze about 45 miles...
Israel unleashes strikes as expectations for truce rise
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel unleashed another wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several, and Hamas fired more rockets, even as expectations rose that a cease-fire could be coming. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against calls from...
Heavy rain in Texas, Louisiana adds to misery in flood zonesVideo
BATON ROUGE — The National Weather Service warned Wednesday that more rain is expected this week in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, including areas where flooding has already caused misery this week. Forecasters said 2 to 4 inches of rain could fall in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana on Thursday...
Gov. Greg Abbott signs near-complete ban on abortion in TexasVideo
AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation Wednesday that abortion opponents call a milestone measure to protect life while advocates decry it as one of the most extreme restrictions in the country and vow to continue fighting it in court. The bill from Mineola Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes sets...
Former New Jersey archbishop accused in $50 million lawsuit of sexually abusing 5-year-old girl
NEWARK, N.J. — An archbishop of Newark groomed a 5-year-old girl by delivering food to her struggling family and regularly babysitting her, then sexually abusing her on multiple occasions in the 1970s, a lawsuit alleges. The suit filed in March is believed to be the first to level sexual abuse...
7 fraternity members plead not guilty in Bowling Green hazing death
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Seven men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to various charges connected to the death of a 20-year-year-old university student in Ohio who drank a bottle of alcohol as part of a hazing ritual in March. The seven entered their pleas in Wood County in northwest Ohio....
U.S. pushes back as ice caps melt in the Arctic and Russia moves inVideo
WASHINGTON — Of the many cold war disputes currently straining Biden administration relations with Russia, one is melting. Literally. Melting ice in the Arctic because of intense climate change has allowed Russia to push its military apparatus, complete with bomber aircraft, radar and missile batteries, deeper into the coveted geopolitical...
Boyfriend denies role in Iowa college student’s 2018 slaying
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The boyfriend of a University of Iowa student testified Wednesday that he had nothing to do with her 2018 abduction and stabbing death, saying he had been out of town for work and heartbroken by her slaying. Dalton Jack, the longtime boyfriend of Mollie Tibbetts, was...
U.S. offers $5 million reward for American woman missing in Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD — The U.S. State Department said Wednesday it was offering a $5 million reward for information about an American woman kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2008. Cydney Mizell, a humanitarian aid worker and her driver, Mohammad Hadi, were kidnapped in southern Kandahar province, where Mizell was teaching English and embroidery...
Explainer: Why has the price of Bitcoin been falling?
NEW YORK — The price of Bitcoin fell as much as 29% Wednesday after the China Banking Association warned member banks of risks associated with digital currencies. Other digital currencies suffered sharp declines as well. Bitcoin’s volatility was on full display: The decline had narrowed to below 10% in early...
