U.S./World category, Page 840
Fire visible across Los Angeles burns commercial yard, buses
COMPTON, Calif. — A huge fire visible across Los Angeles burned stacks of pallets in an commercial yard and buses parked in a neighboring lot early Friday. The inferno erupted in Compton before dawn and created a massive column of smoke that rose high into the sky and spread widely...
Cat that vanished 15 years ago is reunited with owner
LOS ANGELES — A cat that went astray about 15 years ago has been reunited, older and maybe wiser, with its owner. Brandy, a brown tabby, was reunited Monday afternoon with Charles, who adopted her as a 2-month-old kitten in 2005. “It’s amazing. I think it’s unbelievable,” he said Thursday....
NYC schools chancellor exits, citing virus’ personal toll
NEW YORK — New York City’s Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced Friday he will step down, citing the coronavirus pandemic’s personal toll on his family. He will be replaced by Bronx Executive Superintendent Meisha Ross Porter, who will become the first Black woman to lead the nation’s largest public school...
Explosion strikes Israeli-owned ship in Mideast amid tension
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An explosion struck an Israeli-owned cargo ship sailing out of the Middle East on Friday, an unexplained blast renewing concerns about ship security amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The crew and vessel were safe, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations,...
Hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls taken in mass abduction
LAGOS, Nigeria — Gunmen abducted 317 girls from a boarding school in northern Nigeria on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of mass kidnappings of students in the West African nation. Police and the military have begun joint operations to rescue the girls after the attack at the...
UN: Carbon-cutting pledges by countries nowhere near enough
The newest pledges by countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions are falling far short of what’s needed to limit global warming to what the Paris climate accord seeks, a new United Nations report finds. So the U.N.’s climate chief is telling nations to go back and try harder. Most countries...
Militia official: US strike in Syria kills 1, wounds several
WASHINGTON — A U.S. airstrike in Syria targeted facilities belonging to a powerful Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, killing one fighter and wounding several others, an Iraqi militia official said Friday, signaling the first military action undertaken by U.S. President Joe Biden. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a...
Jet pilot reports missile-like object ‘go right over the top of us’ in New Mexico skies
SANTA FE, N.M. — American Airlines has said one of its pilots flying a passenger jet sent a radio transmission reporting an unidentified object flying at high speeds in skies above northern New Mexico during a flight last Sunday from Cincinnati to Phoenix. A recording of the pilot’s transmission was...
Acting Capitol Police chief tells lawmakers militia groups seek to ‘blow up the Capitol’
Plans to “blow up” the U.S. Capitol during President Joe Biden’s yet-to-be scheduled State of the Union address in hopes of killing as many members of Congress “as possible” remains a credible threat, a top security official told lawmakers Thursday. Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman made the disturbing revelation...
Ohio is first state to sue Census Bureau over delay in data
Ohio on Thursday became the first state to challenge the U.S. Census Bureau’s decision to push back the release of 2020 census figures so more time can be spent on fixing any inaccuracies in the data. The lawsuit filed by Ohio Solicitor General Benjamin Flowers asks a federal judge in...
U.S. report on Jamal Khashoggi killing likely to worsen relations with Saudis
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is expected to soon release an unclassified intelligence report establishing that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, directed the killing of the dissident U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A classified version of the report was completed shortly after Khashoggi was lured into a Saudi Consulate...
AG: Olympics gymnastics coach John Geddert dies by suicide after charges
LANSING, Mich. — A former U.S. Olympics gymnastics coach with ties to disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar died by suicide Thursday after being charged with two dozen crimes, including forms of human trafficking, the state attorney general said. The announcement from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel came about three hours...
Chief: Capitol assault much bigger than intel suggested
WASHINGTON — The acting U.S. Capitol Police chief was pressed to explain Thursday why the agency hadn’t been prepared to fend off a violent mob of insurrectionists, including white supremacists, who were trying to halt the certification of the presidential election last month, even though officials had compelling advance intelligence....
Hasbro giving Mr. Potato Head gender neutral name
NEW YORK — Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister. Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender neutral new name: Potato Head. The change will appear on boxes this year. Toy makers have been updating their classic brands to appeal to...
Group asks justices to ban use of race in college admissions
WASHINGTON — A group claiming Harvard discriminates against Asian American applicants is asking the Supreme Court to ban the consideration of race in college admissions nationwide. With an expanded 6-3 conservative majority since the last time the court heard an affirmative action case, the court could decide in the spring...
Republican wants to require national anthem in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — The national anthem would have to be played before all sporting events at Lambeau Field, the Fiserv Forum and all other Wisconsin venues that have received taxpayer money under a bill introduced Thursday in the state Legislature by a Republican lawmaker. The proposal from Sen. Patrick Testin,...
Ohio bill toughening welfare program eligibility criticized
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Social service advocates are criticizing an Ohio bill that would toughen eligibility for food stamps and Medicaid benefits. Beefed up monitoring of changes in food stamp recipients’ income would be required along with photos on state food stamp cards, called EBT cards, under legislation proposed by Sen....
U.S. jobless claims fall to 730,000 but layoffs remain high
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week but remained high by historical standards. Applications for benefits declined 111,000 from the previous week to a seasonally adjusted 730,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. It is the lowest figure since late November. Still, before the virus...
China celebrates official end of extreme poverty, lauds Xi
BEIJING — The ruling Communist Party is celebrating the official end of extreme poverty in China with a propaganda campaign that praises President Xi Jinping’s role, part of efforts to cement his image as a history-making leader who is reclaiming his country’s rightful place as a global power. The propaganda...
Alaska could see more dangerous thunderstorms as Arctic sea ice melts and evaporation increases
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Thunderstorm frequency could triple in Alaska by the end of the century because of ongoing climate change, according to new research. Big thunderstorms, the kind that produce lots of rain, are not common in Alaska now. Some 30 occur in the state every year, said Andreas Prein,...
Report: More than $30 million needed for repairs, security at Capitol as a result of assaultVideo
The cost of cleaning broken glass, doors and artwork along with the added security from the events that occurred on Jan. 6 have topped $30 million and require more funding, Capitol staffers told lawmakers on Wednesday. NPR reported lawmakers have already said they would allocate the budget necessary for the...
Blackouts bring up ‘a four-letter word’ in Texas: regulationVideo
AUSTIN — All the groceries spoiled and the water was out for days. Then Melissa Rogers, a believer in the Texas gospel that government should know its place, woke up to a $6,000 energy bill before the snow and ice even melted. “The roads were awful, but we were running...
Chief: Capitol Police were warned of violence before riotVideo
WASHINGTON — Capitol Police knew armed extremists were primed for violence at the iconic building on Jan. 6 and even provided officers with assault rifles to protect lawmakers, the acting chief acknowledged Wednesday. But the wild invasion of the Capitol was far worse than police expected, leaving them unprepared to...
Former aide to Gov. Cuomo pens essay with allegations of sexual harassment
ALBANY, N.Y. — A former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo detailed accusations of sexual harassment against the governor in an essay Wednesday, alleging top female staffers “normalized” behavior that included unwanted kissing and touching. Lindsey Boylan, the former deputy secretary for economic development and special adviser to the governor, said...
Florida man charged with trying to join Islamic militants
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Florida man traveled to Turkey and attempted to enter Syria so he could help Islamic State militants, according to an indictment by a federal grand jury. The grand jury Tuesday charged Mohamed Suliman, 33, with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization....
