Proposed cat declawing ban passes New York Legislature
ALBANY — New York’s Legislature passed a bill Tuesday that would make the state the first in the country to make it illegal to declaw a cat. The bill, which would subject veterinarians to $1,000 fines for performing the operation, now heads to the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose...
2 Kennywood roller coasters make ‘tallest, scariest’ list
Just in time for summer, two Kennywood roller coasters — one wooden, one steel — make the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s list of the 10 “tallest and scariest” roller coasters in Pennsylvania. Coming in at No. 3 is Phantom’s Revenge, a steel coaster that reaches speeds of 85 mph and a...
Former deputy Scot Peterson, who didn’t confront Parkland shooter, is arrested
The former Broward County, Fla., sheriff’s deputy who did not pursue the gunman attacking a Parkland high school last year was arrested Tuesday and charged with child neglect and negligence stemming from his actions that day. Scot Peterson, 56, was arrested and charged with 11 counts, including seven counts of...
Lawsuit: Thrill ride maker knew of defect before fatal crash at Ohio State Fair
The manufacturer of an amusement ride that broke apart at the Ohio State Fair and left one teenager dead and others with life-changing injuries knew five years earlier about a defect that caused the malfunction, a new lawsuit said. Attorneys for some of the victims say they have a letter...
Nigerian ambassador is next UN General Assembly president
UNITED NATIONS — Members of the United Nations General Assembly have chosen the Nigerian ambassador to the world body as its next president. They elected Tijjani Muhammad-Bande by acclamation on Tuesday to preside over the 74th U.N. session for one year, starting in September. He’s the second Nigerian president of...
China handles Tiananmen anniversary with usual silence
Dissidents silenced. Security tightened. References scrubbed from the internet. China imposed an information lockdown Tuesday on the 30th anniversary of its bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square, a stark reminder that three decades later, the possibility of democratic change has all but evaporated. Extra checkpoints and street closures...
Ikea’s newest dressers are designed to prevent ‘tip-over’ deaths
Scandinavian retailer Ikea has introduced a line of tip-resistant dressers in response to an industry problem that it says has killed eight children and injured dozens of others over the past two decades. The Glesvär collection unveiled Tuesday in Sweden comes with a range of “stability features” aimed at getting...
Researchers say dodgeball is ‘legalized bullying’
Pick a group. Eliminate your opponent by hurtling a ball at them. Survive the onslaught. Win the game. Dodgeball has been a playground game for generations, but is it more than just a child’s game? Is it something more oppressive? “It’s tantamount to legalized bullying,” said Joy Butler, a professor...
The history and reasoning for hurricane names
Naming hurricanes and big wildfires is now such an ingrained part of our culture that most people don’t think about how and why naming began or how storms or fires acquire their names. Names are the one thing hurricanes and wildfires have in common. Both are named soon after they...
Czech court sentences 3 men for trading in tiger products
PRAGUE — A Czech court has convicted three men of killing critically endangered tigers and illegally trading in tiger products. They were arrested last year after police discovered the body of a recently killed tiger, a large number of skins of big cats and the bodies of 20 other protected...
Penn State finds digital divide wider than reported for broadband internet in rural Pa.
The “digital divide” in rural parts of Pennsylvania may be growing instead of closing, according to a new study by Penn State University. The “Broadband Availability and Access in Rural Pennsylvania” study found there isn’t a single county where at least 50% of the population received broadband connectivity, defined by...
Indiana teacher awards autistic boy ‘annoying male’ trophy
GARY, Ind. — An Indiana school district has apologized after a teacher awarded an 11-year-old autistic student a trophy naming him the “most annoying male” of the school year. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that a special education teacher at Bailly Preparatory Academy in Gary gave the boy the trophy...
Maine legislators OK assisted suicide; bill goes to governor
AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Legislature voted Tuesday to legalize assisted suicide, passing a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe terminally ill people a fatal dose of medication. The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has not indicated whether she will let it become law. Her...
Man charged after wife records fight ending with deadly fall
ST. LOUIS — A newlywed prison guard has been charged with assault after his wife recorded a fight that ended with her being found dead at the bottom of a parking garage near the stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals play. Bradley Jenkins, 30, a lieutenant for the Illinois Department...
Newspaper ad for a hand-carved chair ran for 6 years
Larry Johnson was downsizing his home in British Columbia and decided to sell the enormous, hand-carved wooden throne that occupied most of his living room. On Feb. 8, 2013, he took out a now-famous ad in his local newspaper, offering to sell the grand chair for $5,000 in Canadian dollars....
Deaths from falls among older Americans are on the rise
CHICAGO — New research shows fatal falls have nearly tripled in older Americans in recent years, rising to more than 25,000 annual deaths. The findings highlight the importance of fall prevention. A separate study bolsters evidence that programs focusing on improving muscle strength and balance can help achieve that goal....
Pa. woman donates her uterus to help a stranger experience motherhood
As a neonatal intensive care nurse, Heather Bankos has seen up close the heartbreak that comes when babies are born fighting for life, when they don’t make it and — perhaps worst of all — when complications from birth mean women who have lost children will never again be able...
Trump says Mexico tariffs ‘likely,’ Mexico predicts deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he expects to begin hitting Mexico with tariffs next week in a long-running dispute over illegal immigration, while Mexican officials predicted an agreement to avoid the penalties would be reached during upcoming negotiations. Trump said Tuesday that the parties would try to work something...
W.Va. judge dismisses lawsuit accusing teacher of sex abuse
WHEELING, W.Va. — A judge has dismissed a civil suit filed against a former teacher accused of sexually abusing a student for years and giving birth to his children. The Intelligencer reports Ohio County Circuit Judge Jason Cuomo wrote in a ruling on Friday that he had to dismiss key...
Family discovers Walmart graduation cake made of plastic foam
PASADENA, Texas — A Texas family could have used a saw instead of a knife to slice a graduation cake from Walmart that was made of plastic foam. Marsy Flores says the retail giant’s store in Pasadena, Texas, had lost her order for a two-tier cake that she wanted for...
Family Dollar adding alcohol to 1,000 stores
In the first quarter, budget store Family Dollar quietly added adult beverages to the shelves at 45 of its stores. Now, it’s planning on expanding that to 1,000 select stores nationwide, the company reports. In a news release, Dollar Tree — the parent company — announced it was executing a...
Casey, Toomey report reveals nearly 400 troubled nursing homes, 5 in Western Pa.
WASHINGTON — The federal government for years has kept under wraps the names of hundreds of nursing homes around the country found by inspectors to have serious ongoing health, safety or sanitary problems. Nearly 400 facilities nationwide had a “persistent record of poor care” as of April, but they were...
Cyprus police find third suitcase with body inside in lake
NICOSIA, Cyprus — A police spokesman on the east Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus says a suitcase containing decomposing human remains has been dragged out of a toxic lake. Andreas Angelides said Tuesday’s discovery is a “major development” in the unfolding investigation of a Cypriot army captain who has confessed...
Disneyland adds another crowd-management fix at Star Wars land
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Anticipating huge crowds for the opening of its newest expansion, Disneyland allowed only park visitors with reservations to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during the first three weeks after opening. But the crowds were so overwhelming over the weekend that even with the reservations system, the theme...
Trump baby blimp flies in London as protests greet president
LONDON — Thousands of protesters greeted President Donald Trump’s U.K. visit with anger and British irony Tuesday, crowding London’s government district while the U.S. leader met Prime Minister Theresa May nearby. Feminists, environmentalists, peace activists, trade unionists and others demonstrated against the lavish royal welcome being given to a president...
