U.S./World category, Page 970
‘All eyes’ on New York: Reopening tests city torn by crises
NEW YORK — After three bleak months, New York, the corner of the U.S. hit hardest by the coronavirus, gradually began reopening Monday in what was seen as a landmark moment in the crisis and a test of the city’s discipline. With the virus in check — at least for...
When protesters cry ‘defund the police,’ what does it mean?Video
WASHINGTON — Protesters are pushing to “defund the police” over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans killed by law enforcement. Their chant has become rallying cry — and a stick for President Donald Trump to use on Democrats as he portrays them as soft on crime. But...
Taliban say they are readying for talks with Kabul leaders
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have started putting together their agenda for negotiations with the political leadership in Kabul, Taliban officials said, a significant first step toward talks seen as perhaps the most critical next phase in the Afghan peace process. No date has yet been set for negotiations but Washington’s...
Obamas, Beyonce, Taylor Swift among those to deliver speeches during YouTube virtual ceremonyVideo
President Barack Obama said in a commencement speech Sunday that the nationwide protests following the recent deaths of unarmed black women and men including George Floyd were fueled from “decades worth of anguish, frustration, over unequal treatment and a failure to perform police practices.” Obama along with his wife, Michelle,...
Minneapolis council majority backs disbanding police force
MINNEAPOLIS — A majority of the members of the Minneapolis City Council said Sunday they support disbanding the city’s police department, an aggressive stance that comes just as the state has launched a civil rights investigation after George Floyd’s death. Nine of the council’s 12 members appeared with activists at...
Virginia officer charged in use of stun gun on black manVideo
FAIRFAX, Va. — A white Virginia police officer was charged with assault and battery in connection with the use of a stun gun on a black man, authorities announced. Fairfax County police Officer Tyler Timberlake arrived on scene and fired his stun gun at the man after other officers had...
New York Times editorial page editor resigns amid fury over op-ed
NEW YORK — The New York Times’ editorial page editor resigned Sunday after the newspaper disowned an opinion piece by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton that advocated using federal troops to quell unrest, and it was later revealed he hadn’t read the piece prior to publication. James Bennet resigned and his...
Strong wind, rain as tropical storm makes Louisiana landfallVideo
NEW ORLEANS — Tropical Storm Cristobal made landfall Sunday on the Louisiana coast, packing 50 mph wind and spinning dangerous weather as far east as northern Florida, where it spawned a tornado that uprooted trees and downed power lines. The lopsided storm moved ashore between the mouth of the Mississippi...
10-foot great white shark kills surfer in AustraliaVideo
SYDNEY — A 60-year-old surfer was attacked and killed by a 10-foot great white shark off the coast of northern New South Wales state on Sunday, officials said. The man received a bite to the back of his thigh and was brought to the shore by other surfers who had...
Virginia man’s hand blown off; note references violence against women
ABINGDON, Va. — A southwest Virginia man who blew off his hand in an apparent explosives accident has been charged in federal court after authorities say they found evidence he was making a bomb and wanted to target “hot cheerleaders” because of his sexual frustrations. An FBI affidavit filed Friday...
AG William Barr denies Trump demanded 10,000 troops to quell protestsVideo
Attorney General William Barr on Sunday denied that President Donald Trump wanted 10,000 active duty troops sent onto American streets to quell unrest. Barr, in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation,” pushed back on reports by several news organizations that the president initially made the demand before backing down...
Watery end for statue of slave trader in UK city of Bristol
LONDON — For someone who died nearly three centuries ago, Edward Colston has become a symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement in Britain. The toppling of his statue in Bristol, a city in the southwest of England, on Sunday by anti-racism protesters was greeted with joyous scenes, recognition of...
Officials urge Floyd protesters to get coronavirus tests
NEW YORK — As New York City prepared to reopen after a more than two-month coronavirus shutdown, officials on Sunday lifted a curfew that was put in place amid protests of police brutality and racial injustice. But they also urged that demonstrators be tested for covid-19. “Get a test. Get...
Deputy killed in California ambush by Air Force sergeant
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — A Northern California sheriff’s deputy was killed and two law enforcement officers wounded Saturday when they were ambushed with gunfire and explosives while pursuing a suspect, authorities said. The U.S. Air Force confirmed Sunday that the suspect was an active duty sergeant stationed at Travis Air...
‘A long time coming’: Iconic Lee statue to be removed
RICHMOND, Va. — David Harris Jr., a nephew of humanitarian and tennis legend Arthur Ashe, tried for decades to get a street named after his uncle in Richmond, the hometown that once denied Ashe access to segregated public tennis courts. Finally, in 2019, the City Council approved the renaming over...
Left out: More workers now losing hope of getting back jobs
NEW YORK — Eric Benz didn’t worry very much when his graphic design firm in Atlanta laid him off in March. He felt sure he’d be recalled to work once the viral pandemic eased and his firm’s clients resumed spending. Three months later, there’s been no call. Instead, Benz has...
Protesters flood U.S. streets in huge, peaceful push for change
WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of protesters streamed into the nation’s capital and other major cities Saturday in another huge mobilization against police brutality and racial injustice, while George Floyd was remembered in his North Carolina hometown by mourners who waited hours for a glimpse of his golden coffin. Wearing...
Fox News apologizes for stock graphic referencing Floyd, MLK deaths
NEW YORK — One day after Fox News aired a graphic correlating stock market gains following notable tragic events involving black Americans, it offered an apology. The contrite concession came Saturday after outraged viewers howled over the insensitive chart shown during Friday’s broadcast of “Special Report With Bret Baier.” The...
Zuckerberg-funded scientists: Rein in Trump on Facebook
BOSTON — Dozens of scientists doing research funded by Mark Zuckerberg say Facebook should not be letting President Trump use the social media platform to “spread both misinformation and incendiary statements.” The researchers, including 60 professors at leading U.S. research institutions, wrote the Facebook CEO on Saturday asking Zuckerberg to...
California officer standing over blood with baton ‘relieved’
LOS ANGELES — The Long Beach police officer responsible for posting photos on his social media, including one showing him standing over blood with his baton, this week amid days of protests held in the city to remember George Floyd has been “relieved from employment,” the department announced Friday night....
Protesters pour into DC for city’s largest demonstration yet
RAEFORD, N.C. — Protesters streamed into the nation’s capital Saturday for what was expected to be the city’s largest demonstration yet against police brutality, while George Floyd was mourned in his North Carolina hometown, where hundreds of mourners lined up to squeeze into a church to pay their respects. Military...
New jobs report diminishes GOP appetite for more coronavirus aid
WASHINGTON — A stronger than expected jobs report could further scramble an already uncertain picture for passing a fifth and possibly final coronavirus aid bill. The positive statistics are feeding the wait-and-see approach of the White House and its GOP allies in Congress. Republicans say the numbers vindicate their decision...
Annie Glenn remembered as fighter who cared about others
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Mourners praised Annie Glenn on Saturday as a dogged fighter for those with speech disorders, a source of support for her astronaut husband and a hero in her own right. Glenn, wife of the late John Glenn, died May 19 at 100 of complications from covid-19. She...
How messaging technology is helping to fuel global protests
When a friend shared a Facebook post with Michelle Burris inviting her to protest in downtown Washington, D.C., last Saturday, she knew she had to go. So she bought a Black Lives Matter mask from a street vendor before marching the streets of the district with a “No Justice, No...
More protests set in NYC amid lingering tensions over curfew
NEW YORK — After another mostly peaceful night, more demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in New York City were planned for Saturday amid lingering tension between protesters and police over the city’s 8 p.m. curfew. On Friday night, demonstrators again remained on city streets hours after the curfew....
