Killed on Zoom: Florida dad held after toddler finds gun, shoots mom
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — Police in central Florida have arrested the father of a toddler who found a loaded handgun in his “Paw Patrol” backpack and fatally shot his mother while she was on a Zoom call for work. Veondre Avery, 22, was arrested Tuesday and charged with negligent manslaughter...
Jan. 6 committee subpoenas Jeffrey Clark, former Justice Department lawyer
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol issued a subpoena Wednesday to a former Justice Department lawyer who positioned himself as an ally of President Donald Trump and aided Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the presidential election. The committee on Wednesday...
Assailant with bow and arrows kills 5 people in Norway
KONGSBERG, Norway — A Danish man suspected of a bow-and-arrow attack in a small Norwegian town that killed five people is a Muslim convert who was previously flagged as having been radicalized, police said Thursday. Norway’s national security agency said the suspect’s actions “currently appear to be an act of...
Vaccine mix-and-match approach bolsters antibodies, study finds
Mixing covid-19 vaccines produces as much or more antibodies as using the same shot as a booster, according to preliminary results of a widely awaited U.S. government-sponsored trial. The trial is the first major U.S. study to compare the effects of using different vaccines as boosters from the initial shot...
W.Va. regulators OK continued operation of 3 power plants
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Utility regulators have approved a request by two American Electric Power subsidiaries to keep three West Virginia power plants operational until at least 2040. The request granted Tuesday by the state Public Service Commission involves three coal-fired power plants operated by Appalachian Power Co. and Wheeling Power...
Penn State will now mandate covid-19 vaccine for University Park employees
All of Penn State’s faculty and staff at University Park are now required to be fully vaccinated for covid-19 by Dec. 8, in order to be compliant with an executive order issued last month, the university announced late Tuesday. Although President Joe Biden’s order requiring vaccination for all federal employees...
Romanian doctors issue ‘cry of despair’ amid virus surge
BUCHAREST, Romania — Romanian doctors sent an open letter Wednesday titled “a cry of despair” as the country’s overwhelmed and deteriorated health care system copes with a record-setting surge of coronavirus infections and deaths. The College of Physicians of Bucharest, a nongovernmental organization representing doctors in Romania’s capital, said in...
Judge holds D.C. jail officials in contempt in Capitol riot case
WASHINGTON — In a case involving a Jan. 6 Capitol riot defendant, a federal judge held the District of Columbia’s corrections director and jail warden in contempt of court Wednesday and asked the Justice Department to investigate whether inmates’ civil rights are being abused. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth had...
Putin says relations with Biden ‘working and stable’
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that the Kremlin has “constructive” relations with Washington and voiced hope that mutual interests would eventually help normalize U.S.-Russia ties. Putin, speaking during a panel discussion at an international energy conference in Moscow, also said that Russia stands ready to boost natural...
FDA grapples with timing of booster for J&J covid-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it is wrestling with whether and when recipients of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine need another dose — at six months or as early as two months. In an online review, FDA scientists didn’t reach a firm conclusion, citing...
These 4 Zodiac signs account for almost 40% of U.S. serial killers: study
Talk about putting the “horror” in “horoscope.” A new study has taken into account which astrological signs were the most common amongst U.S. serial killers. And some of its findings has put a whole new twist on sign compatibility. Conducted and published by Astrology-Zodiac-Signs, these star sign experts first took...
William Shatner, Captain Kirk of ‘Star Trek,’ blasts into space
VAN HORN, Texas — Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-year-old William Shatner, blasted into space Wednesday in a convergence of science fiction and science reality, reaching the final frontier aboard a ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. The “Star Trek” hero and three fellow passengers soared to an estimated 66...
Judge dismisses Fulton County ballot review case in Georgia
ATLANTA — A judge on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that alleged fraud in Georgia’s most populous county during the 2020 election. The suit sought a review of some 147,000 absentee ballots in search of illegitimate votes, but no evidence emerged to justify such a broad search, the judge said. The...
Attorney General Josh Shapiro launches bid for Pa. governor
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro officially launched his bid for governor on Wednesday — mostly a formality after months of speculation that he’d seek the state’s highest office. Shapiro, a Democrat from Montgomery County, kicked off his campaign by releasing a two-minute video Wednesday morning that included endorsements from Pittsburgh...
Pope OKs crediting miracle to John Paul I on sainthood path
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Wednesday approved the crediting of what was described as the miraculous healing of a child to the intercession of John Paul I, advancing the cause for sainthood for one of his predecessors who died 33 days after being elected pontiff in 1978. His signing...
Social Security checks getting big boost as inflation rises
WASHINGTON — Millions of retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9% boost in benefits for 2022. The biggest cost-of-living adjustment in 39 years follows a burst in inflation as the economy struggles to shake off the drag of the coronavirus pandemic. The COLA, as it’s commonly called, amounts to...
U.S. to reopen land borders in November for fully vaccinated
WASHINGTON — The U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the covid-19 pandemic as the country moves to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico...
Elk roaming Colorado with tire around neck for 2 years freedVideo
PINE, Colo. — Wildlife officials in Colorado say an elusive elk that has been wandering the hills with a car tire around its neck for at least two years has finally been freed of the obstruction. The 4 1/2-year-old, 600-pound bull elk was spotted near Pine Junction, southwest of Denver,...
White House scolds Abbott for trying to ban Biden’s federal vaccine mandate in TexasVideo
WASHINGTON — The White House scolded Gov. Greg Abbott for trying to bar Texas companies from enforcing a federal covid-19 vaccine mandate, accusing him Tuesday of pandering to GOP primary voters at the expense of public health. “It’s important to remember we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” said White...
Congress raises nation’s debt limit, but thorny December deadlines loom
WASHINGTON — The House raised the nation’s debt ceiling on Tuesday, averting a default for about three months but setting up a tougher political hurdle for Democrats at the end of the year. The bill was packaged with several other measures so there was no stand-alone vote on the unpopular...
Indiana hairdresser linked to QAnon to be jailed for Capitol rioting
Like many Donald Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Dona Sue Bissey has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory on social media. But the judge sentencing her Tuesday to 14 days in jail said it was for her actions, not her beliefs. Bissey, 53, pleaded guilty in...
BP, Shell leaders to face Congress over alleged climate cover-up
WASHINGTON — Executives from BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc will testify before a House committee investigating allegations that oil giants misled the public about the role of fossil fuels in causing global warming. The hearing planned for later this month by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee...
Florida fines key county $3.5 million for mandating vaccines
TALLAHASSEE — The county government that is home to Florida’s capital was fined $3.5 million on Tuesday by state health officials for requiring its employees to get covid-19 vaccines and for firing 14 workers who failed to get the shots. The Florida Department of Health issued the fine for Leon...
Supreme Court ends legal clash over border wall spending
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court wiped out a lower court ruling Tuesday that had found the House had a right to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for the use of funds to construct a barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border. The justices also ordered a lower court to declare...
Florida city has glut of stray cats, officials say. Here’s how they plan to fix the problem
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — It started with one defenseless kitten wandering in a circle by itself on Lake Ida Road. “I pulled over and picked her up,” said Delray Beach City Commissioner Juli Casale. “She was so tiny, she needed to be fed formula. Once I brought her home, …...
