U.S./World category, Page 968
Russia welcomes prospect of U.S. troop pullback from Germany
MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed President Donald Trump’s reported plan to withdraw more than a quarter of U.S. troops from Germany, saying it would help bolster security in Europe. Trump has reportedly signed off on a plan to cut the number of troops stationed in Germany from...
Former Baltimore mayor refunds $860K to campaign donors
BALTIMORE — Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh is refunding more than $800,000 to campaign donors, months after she was convicted in a case involving the fraudulent sales her self-published children’s books to promote her political career. Pugh’s campaign committee issued checks totaling about $860,000 to more than 1,000 donors last...
Workers fired after black woman denied restroom access
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A business fired two Kentucky workers and issued an apology after a black woman was denied access to a restroom. Liquor Barn said in a statement Wednesday that it terminated the employee who turned the woman away and the general manager of the Louisville store, the Courier...
Police investigate fire at property where group reenacted George Floyd killing, mocked protestVideo
Police are conducting a criminal investigation into a small fire at a Gloucester County, N.J., property where a group of men, including a prison guard and a former FedEx worker, reenacted the killing of George Floyd on Monday, taunting peaceful protesters as they marched by them. On Wednesday, police were...
Jefferson Davis statue torn down in Richmond, Va.Video
RICHMOND, Va. — Protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in the former capital of the Confederacy, adding it to the list of Old South monuments removed or damaged around the United States in the wake of George Floyd’s death. The bronze statue on Richmond’s Monument...
Fitness company apologizes for ‘I can’t breathe’ workout
WAUWATOSA, Wis. — A health club company is apologizing on behalf of a franchisee who posted an “I can’t breathe” workout at a gym in suburban Milwaukee. Photos of the workout instructions drawn on a dry erase board at Anytime Fitness in Wauwatosa were shared widely on social media and...
Thousands without power after storms sweep through MichiganVideo
DETROIT — About 290,000 homes and businesses were without electricity Thursday in Michigan after thunderstorms barreled through the state, downing hundreds of trees and power lines. DTE Energy said about 137,000 of its customers in southeast Michigan were without service as of 6 a.m. after about 90,000 had power restored...
1.5 million more laid-off workers seek unemployment benefits – Jun. 11, 2020Video
WASHINGTON — About 1.5 million laid-off workers applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that many Americans are still losing their jobs even as the economy appears to be slowly recovering with more businesses partially reopening. The latest figure from the Labor Department marked the 10th straight weekly decline...
Queen Elizabeth takes part in first public video callVideo
LONDON — Queen Elizabeth II has taken part in her first public video conference call to chat to four carers about the challenges they face looking after people close to them during the coronavirus pandemic. As part of Carers Week in the United Kingdom, the 94-year-old monarch showed once again...
Stolen Banksy honoring Bataclan victims found in ItalyVideo
L’AQUILA, Italy — Italian authorities on Thursday unveiled a stolen artwork by the British artist Banksy that was painted as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 terror attacks at the Bataclan music hall in Paris. L’Aquila prosecutors said the work was recovered on Wednesday during a search of...
Jon Ossoff wins Georgia Senate primary; will face Perdue
ATLANTA — Jon Ossoff, a young Georgia media executive known for breaking fundraising records during a 2017 special election loss for a U.S. House seat, beat back a field of Democratic primary opponents to win a spot taking on Republican Sen. David Perdue in November. Ossoff received about 50.5% of...
Jaywalking arrest of 2 black teens in Oklahoma under review
TULSA, Okla. — Authorities in Oklahoma are investigating the arrest of two black teenagers who were accused by white police officers of jaywalking in a Tulsa neighborhood where some areas had patchy sidewalks or no visible footpaths. Tulsa police on Tuesday released two body camera videos of the officers who...
Trump administration proposes sweeping asylum restrictions
SAN DIEGO — The Trump administration on Wednesday proposed sweeping restrictions on asylum, seeking to align a legal framework with the president’s efforts to limit immigration to the United States. The moves are only the latest in a series of measures that Trump has taken to limit asylum — this...
Disney plans to reopen California theme parks in July
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disney is proposing to reopen its Southern California theme parks in mid-July after what will be a four-month closure due to the coronavirus, the company said on Wednesday. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products said in a statement that the goal is to reopen Disneyland and Disney California...
Buffalo adops policing changes after protester is hurt
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo will replace its police Emergency Response Team with a new “Public Protection Unit” following the suspension and arrest of two ERT members seen on video shoving a 75-year-old protester who fell and cracked his head, Mayor Byron Brown said Wednesday. The city also will halt arrests...
Amazon bans police use of its face recognition for a year
NEW YORK — Amazon on Wednesday banned police use of its face-recognition technology for a year, making it the latest tech giant to step back from law-enforcement use of systems that have been criticized for incorrectly identifying people with darker skin. The Seattle-based company did not say why it took...
Disband the police? Camden already did that
CAMDEN, N.J. — When Gabe Rodriguez started as a rookie cop in this impoverished New Jersey city, his training officer gave him a tip. If a comrade radios for backup, just park your patrol car in a vacant lot and let someone else handle it. The police had given up...
Man found dead near scene of California deputy’s shooting
PASO ROBLES, Calif. — A man was found fatally shot near where a sheriff’s deputy was wounded Wednesday while responding to a report that a gunman was firing shots at a central California police station, and the two incidents were believed to be connected, authorities said. The shooter has yet...
Gunmen kill more than 100 people in 2 Nigerian villages
LAGOS, Nigeria — Gunmen killed at least 100 people in attacks in northern and northeastern Nigeria, witnesses said on Wednesday. In the first attack, gunmen arrived on motorcycles and in cars to attack the village of Foduma Kolomaiya in northeastern Borno State on Tuesday night, killing whoever stood in their...
Ex-judge says push to dismiss Flynn case is abuse of power
WASHINGTON — A former federal judge appointed to review the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss criminal charges against President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn said there was evidence of a “gross abuse” of prosecutorial power and that the request should be denied. Former U.S. District Judge John...
‘Stop the pain,’ a brother of George Floyd tells Congress
WASHINGTON — Philonise Floyd challenged Congress on Wednesday to “stop the pain” so that his brother George wouldn’t be just “another name” on a growing list of those killed during interactions with police. Floyd’s appearance before a House hearing came a day after funeral services for his bother, the 46-year-old...
Facing electoral headwinds, Trump brings back his 2016 team
As anyone who has ever heard him speak knows, President Donald Trump loves to relive 2016. He recycles old attack lines once aimed at Hillary Clinton. He recounts the drama of election night, complete with impersonations of stunned news anchors putting state after state (Pennsylvania! Wisconsin!) in the Republican’s column....
Minneapolis police chief takes on union, promises reform
The Minneapolis Police Department will withdraw from police union contract negotiations, Chief Medaria Arradondo said Wednesday as he announced the first steps in what he said would be transformational reforms to the agency in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Arradondo said a thorough review of the contract is planned....
Strange case of 2 kids who vanished in Idaho takes grim turnVideo
BOISE, Idaho — It was the extended family who grew suspicious first, and then at their urging, local police: Seven-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and his 17-year-old sister Tylee Ryan hadn’t been seen in far too long, and their mother wouldn’t give a straight answer about where they were. Soon strangers...
U.S. military rethinking links to Confederate Army symbols
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is rethinking its traditional connection to Confederate Army symbols, mindful of their divisiveness at a time the nation is wrestling with questions of race after the death of George Floyd in police hands. Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, both former Army...
