Senate confirms chairman of joint chiefs as GOP senator still blocking hundreds of military nomineesVideo
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Gen. CQ Brown as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, putting him in place to succeed Gen. Mark Milley when he retires at the end of the month. Brown’s confirmation on a 83-11 vote, months after President Joe Biden nominated him for...
UN chief warns of ‘gates of hell’ in climate summit, but carbon polluting nations stay silent
UNITED NATIONS — The head of the United Nations warned Wednesday that the “gates of hell” are at hand as climate change intensifies, and top international officials said the world’s leaders still aren’t doing nearly enough to curb pollution of heat-trapping gases. They pleaded with major emitting nations to do...
Man who shot Black teen who mistakenly went to his door enters not guilty plea; trial scheduled
LIBERTY, Mo. — A white 84-year-old homeowner who is accused of shooting a Black teenager after the high-schooler mistakenly came to his Kansas City home entered a not guilty plea Wednesday, and the judge scheduled his trial for next year. Andrew Lester, a retired aircraft mechanic, is charged with first-degree...
Woman rescued from outhouse toilet in northern Michigan after dropping Apple Watch, police say
BAGLEY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A woman was rescued Tuesday from an outhouse toilet in northern Michigan while trying to retrieve her Apple Watch. The woman, whose name was not released, lowered herself inside the toilet after dropping the watch at the Department of Natural Resources boat launch at Dixon Lake...
House Republicans clash with Attorney General Garland, accusing him of favoring Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — House Republicans clashed with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday, accusing him and the Justice Department of the “weaponization” of the department’s work in favor of President Joe Biden ‘s son Hunter. Garland’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was his first in two years and came at...
Alabama school band director says he was ‘just doing my job’ before police arrested him
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — An Alabama high school band director said Wednesday that he was just “doing my job” when police officers arrested him and shocked him with a stun gun after he refused to immediately stop the band as it played in the bleachers following a football game. Johnny Mims,...
This simple log structure may be the oldest example of early humans building with wood
NEW YORK — Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. The construction is basic a pair of overlapping logs, fitted together with a notch. It’s nearly half a million years old and provides a...
Rough surf batters Bermuda as Hurricane Nigel charges through open waters
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Forecasters in Bermuda warned Wednesday of dangerous swells and rip currents as Hurricane Nigel spun through open waters in the northern Atlantic. The Category 1 hurricane was located about 650 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. It had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and was moving...
Kraft Heinz recalls some American cheese slices because wrappers could pose choking hazard
Kraft Heinz said Tuesday it’s recalling more than 83,000 cases of individually-wrapped Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because part of the wrapper could stick to the slice and become a choking hazard. The company, which is based in Chicago and Pittsburgh, said one of its wrapping machines developed a...
Challenges to library books continue at record pace in 2023, American Library Association reports
NEW YORK — Book bans and attempted bans continue to hit record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school-based libraries. Through the first eights months of 2023, the ALA tracked 695 challenges to library materials and services, compared...
Blood donations fall short by two-thirds in region, nonprofit says
Blood collection organizations say donations are down at least 25% — a trend they’ve been unable to break since the pandemic. The American Red Cross announced a national blood shortage last week upon receiving 30,000 fewer donations than expected in August. That’s a 25% decrease from the 12,500 donations it...
Speaker McCarthy faces an almost impossible task trying to unite House GOP and fund the governmentVideo
WASHINGTON — Facing fresh challenges to his leadership, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to accomplish what at times seems impossible — working furiously to convince House Republicans to come together and pass a conservative bill to keep the federal government open. It’s a nearly futile exercise that could help McCarthy...
Hunter Biden to plead not guilty to firearms charges
Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to federal firearms charges filed after the collapse of a plea deal in a long-running federal investigation, his lawyers said Tuesday in court documents. Biden is accused of lying about his drug use when he bought a firearm in October 2018, during a period...
Overhaul of Ohio’s K-12 education system is unconstitutional, new lawsuit contends
COLUMBUS — Seven Ohio school board members are alleging that a Republican-backed overhaul of how the state oversees K-12 education — including decisions on academic standards and school curricula — violates the state’s constitution, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Through changes included in the latest state budget, oversight of...
New York day care operator tried to cover up fentanyl operation before 1-year-old’s death, feds allege
NEW YORK — The owner of a New York City day care center where a 1-year-old child died after being exposed to fentanyl took steps to cover up her involvement in a sprawling drug operation, even as medics rushed to treat several children in her care who were poisoned by...
Acting Temple University president JoAnne A. Epps dies after falling ill on stage
PHILADELPHIA — Temple University acting president JoAnne A. Epps died Tuesday shortly after becoming ill on stage during a memorial service, officials said, describing her loss as a gut punch and struggling through emotion as they recalled her nearly four decades of service. Epps was attending a memorial service at...
Shapiro enacts automatic voter registration for Pennsylvanians registering at DMV
Pennsylvania will now automatically register voters when they obtain driver’s licenses and official identification cards at state branches of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Gov. Josh Shapiro announced the new autonomic voter registration for Pennsylvania residents that goes into effect Tuesday. Pennsylvania residents who obtain or renew their driver’s license...
Biden exhorts world leaders at the UN to stand up to Russia, not let Ukraine ‘be carved up’
UNITED NATIONS — President Joe Biden made a robust case before the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that the world must remain united in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, warning that no nation can be secure if “we allow Ukraine to be carved up” as he tries to rally support...
Family says 14-year-old daughter found iPhone taped to back of toilet seat on Boston flight
BOSTON — The family of a 14-year-old girl who allegedly discovered an iPhone taped to the back of a toilet seat on a recent flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston said they believe she was targeted by a member of the crew. During the Sept. 2 American Airlines flight 1441,...
U.S. issues more sanctions over Iran drone program after nation’s president denies supplying Russia
WASHINGTON — The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven people and four companies in China, Russia and Turkey who officials allege are connected with the development of Iran’s drone program. The U.S. accuses Iran of supplying Russia with drones used to bomb Ukrainian civilians as the Kremlin continues its...
3 former Columbus Zoo executives indicted in $2.2M corruption scheme
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three former Columbus Zoo and Aquarium executives engaged in a pattern of corrupt activity that cost the facility more than $2.2 million, according to an indictment. Tom Stalf, who was the zoo’s president and chief executive officer; ex-Chief Financial Officer Gregory Bell and Peter Fingerhut, its former...
UAW gives deadline for progress in talks, dismisses Trump plans to speak with workers
The leader of the United Auto Workers said that a limited strike targeting plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio may be expanded if “serious progress” toward an new contract agreement isn’t made by Friday at noon. The UAW for the first time in its history is striking at all three...
London police force says it will take years to remove officers accused of corruption and misconduct
LONDON — Hundreds of London police officers are facing dismissal as the department steps up efforts “to root out those who are corrupt” after a series of scandals eroded public trust and a scathing report found it was institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic. The Metropolitan Police Service said Tuesday that...
Officials find debris from F-35 fighter jet that crashed in South Carolina after pilot ejected
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — Authorities found a debris field Monday from a Marine Corps F-35 stealth fighter jet that crashed in South Carolina after the pilot ejected and parachuted to safety. The debris field was located in rural Williamsburg County, according to the Marine Corps’ Joint Base Charleston. The field...
Ex-DOJ official Jeffrey Clark acted within the scope of official duties in Georgia case, lawyer says
ATLANTA — Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark was acting within the scope of his official duties when he wrote a letter expressing concern about alleged problems with the 2020 election in Georgia, his lawyer said Monday as he sought to move charges against Clark to federal court. Clark is...
