U.S./World category, Page 989
Mermaids returning to Montana tiki bar as it reopens
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — For patrons at a Montana tiki bar that has a back wall of a window into a motel swimming pool, it’s typical to see mermaids in the water five nights a week. So as the owner of the O’Haire Motor Inn and the Sip ‘n Dip...
Unanimous Supreme Court throws out New Jersey ‘Bridgegate’ convictions
WASHINGTON — A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the convictions of two political insiders involved in the “Bridgegate” scandal that ultimately derailed the 2016 presidential bid of then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The justices found evidence of deception, corruption and abuse of power in the scheme, but said...
Governor softens order over jailed Texas hair salon ownerVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday removed jail as a punishment for violating his coronavirus restrictions following outcry by conservatives over a Dallas salon owner who was jailed for refusing to keep her business closed. In a swift reversal of his own rules, Abbott said his...
South African brewer says it may dump 400 million bottles of beer
CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South African Breweries, one of the world’s largest brewers, says it may have to destroy 400 million bottles of beer as a result of the country’s ban on alcohol sales that is part of its lockdown measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. South...
Indianapolis police officer fatally strikes pregnant woman
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis police officer on his way to work struck and killed a pregnant woman who was walking on an expressway ramp, police said Thursday. Officer Jonathon Henderson, a 22-year veteran, struck the woman about 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, police said. The accident happened as he traveled on the...
Hundreds evacuated as wildfires rage in Florida Panhandle
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Firefighters in the Florida Panhandle have been battling wildfires that forced some 1,600 people to evacuate from their homes, and a stretch of Interstate 10 remained closed in both directions Thursday morning due to smoke, authorities said. A more than 575-acre fire in Walton County prompted about...
Trucker charged in serial killings faces scrutiny across U.S.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Investigators from multiple states were looking Thursday into whether a long-haul trucker from Iowa who’s implicated in at least three women’s slayings in the 1990s could be responsible for other unsolved homicides. Officers arrested Clark Perry Baldwin, 58, in Waterloo on Wednesday after new DNA evidence...
California doom: Staggering $54 billion budget deficit loomsVideo
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will have a budget shortfall of $54.3 billion because of the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced Thursday, a stunning reversal for a state that had a $21 billion surplus a year ago. The state has been under a mandatory stay-at-home...
New Banksy art unveiled at British hospital to thank doctors, nurses
A new work by the elusive street artist Banksy, honoring health workers, has been unveiled at a British hospital. The framed picture, titled “Game Changer,” depicts a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy. Batman and Spiderman action figure toys lie in a wastepaper basket...
Police: 2 McDonald’s workers shot over dining area closure
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two McDonald’s employees in Oklahoma City were shot and wounded by a customer who was angry that the restaurant’s dining area was closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, police said. A female suspect was in custody after the Wednesday night shooting, but police have not yet released...
Gunman sought after 3 dead in string of Houston shootings
HOUSTON — Police searched early Thursday for a man suspected of fatally shooting three men during the span of less than an hour at separate locations in Houston. The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Joshua Kelsey, was believed to be driving a car that was stolen from the scene of the...
Outer Banks set to reopen to visitorsVideo
Three counties on North Carolina’s tourist-reliant Outer Banks announced plans Wednesday to lift coronavirus-related visitor restrictions, although they warned of the need to continue to practice social distancing amid the ongoing pandemic. In a joint statement, officials in Currituck, Dare and Hyde counties said restrictions on entry for visitors will...
Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg out of hospital after gallstone treatment
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from a Baltimore hospital Wednesday after being treated for a gall bladder condition. “She is doing well and glad to be home,” the Supreme Court’s public information office said in a statement. Ginsburg, 87, was in the hospital to be treated for...
Georgia family demands arrests 2 months after son fatally shotVideo
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The parents of a black man slain in a pursuit by two white men armed with guns called for immediate arrests Wednesday as they faced the prospect of waiting a month or longer before a Georgia grand jury could consider bringing charges. A swelling outcry over the...
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey accused of firing scientists who say he shouldn’t reopen the stateVideo
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is being accused by health experts of firing scientists who warned him of reopening the state from threats of coronavirus too soon. Ducey, a Republican, recently extended his stay-at-home order until May 15, but on the day before President Trump visited the state and toured a...
Agency finds private border wall violates Rio Grande treaty
HOUSTON — A construction firm promoted by President Donald Trump to build his signature border wall violated American treaty obligations with a private border fence next to the river separating Texas and Mexico, a U.S. agency has found. The International Boundary and Water Commission found that Fisher Industries’ 3-mile (4.8...
Lawsuit on behalf of Missouri meat plant workers dismissed
O’FALLON, Mo. — A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed on behalf of employees at a rural Missouri meatpacking facility, ruling that oversight of how the plant adheres to guidance aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus falls to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, not the courts. U.S....
Polish ruling coalition postpones presidential vote
WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s ruling party leader and a partner in the governing coalition announced an agreement late Wednesday to postpone Sunday’s presidential election, saying a new date will be chosen later. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the ruling Law and Justice party, and Jaroslaw Gowin, leader of a small party...
Astronomers find closest black hole to Earth, hints of moreVideo
Meet your new but shy galactic neighbor: A black hole left over from the death of a fleeting young star. European astronomers have found the closest black hole to Earth yet, so near that the two stars dancing with it can be seen by the naked eye. Of course, close...
Uber lays off 3,700 as coronavirus upends sharing economy
NEW YORK — In a world where the coronavirus pandemic has turned social distancing into a new way of life, companies whose business models bank on people’s willingness to share their personal space are now struggling. Uber said Wednesday it’s cutting 3,700 full-time workers, or about 14% of its workforce,...
Britain to ease some covid-19 lockdown measures next week
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said he plans to ease some covid-19 lockdown rules next week but warned that lifting measures too early could deepen Britain’s economic crisis. “We want, if we possibly can, to get going with (lifting) some of these measures on Monday,” Johnson told...
Dallas salon owner jailed for defying coronavirus shutdown orderVideo
DALLAS — A Texas’ judge’s decision to jail a hair salon owner for defying restrictions meant to limit the spread of the coronavirus has drawn criticism from the governor and state attorney general. Shelley Luther was booked in the Dallas County jail on Tuesday afternoon following a video hearing during...
Ex-California lawmaker seeks prison term delay due to coronavirus
SAN DIEGO — Former California Rep. Duncan Hunter wants to push back the start of his prison term for stealing campaign funds until next year because of concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. Hunter’s lawyers and prosecutors filed a joint motion in federal court on Tuesday and were awaiting a ruling...
3 Russian doctors fall from hospital windows during pandemicVideo
MOSCOW — Two Russian doctors have died and another was seriously injured in falls from hospital windows after they reportedly came under pressure over working conditions in the coronavirus pandemic. The exact circumstances of the separate incidents in the last two weeks remain unclear and they are being investigated by...
Most new covid-19 patients in N.Y. not working, older: surveyVideo
NEW YORK — The great majority of people being newly hospitalized with the coronavirus in New York are either retired or unemployed and were avoiding public transit, according to a new state survey, the first such look at people still getting seriously ill despite six weeks of severe social distancing....
