More rain, more bodies in flooded Kentucky mountain townsVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Another round of rainstorms hit flooded Kentucky mountain communities Monday as more bodies emerged from the sodden landscape, and the governor warned that high winds could bring another threat: falling trees and utility poles. Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll rose to 35, and hundreds of...
No reported damage in Philippines from Chinese rocket debrisVideo
MANILA — There was no reported damage in a western Philippine region where debris from the final stage of a rocket that launched part of China’s new space station reportedly fell, a Filipino official said Monday. Philippine Space Agency official Marc Talampas said authorities have been advised to be on...
Pennsylvania’s Bob Casey urges Senate to pass burn pit bill
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is blaming Senate Republicans for holding up a bill that he said would provide health care funding to help veterans suffering from illnesses related to toxic exposure from burn pits. Burn pits were common at military sites outside the United States, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan....
UN chief warns world is one step from ‘nuclear annihilation’
UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief warned the world Monday that “humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gave the dire warning at the opening of the long-delayed high-level meeting to review the landmark 50-year-old treaty aimed at preventing the spread of...
As fewer kids enroll, big cities face a small schools crisis
CHICAGO — On a recent morning inside Chalmers School of Excellence on Chicago’s West Side, five preschool and kindergarten students finished up drawings. Four staffers, including a teacher and a tutor, chatted with them about colors and shapes. The summer program offers the kind of one-on-one support parents love. But...
Racehorse deaths drop sharply in Pa. following new rules to protect thoroughbreds
Pennsylvania recorded 17 thoroughbred racehorse deaths in April, May and June, down from 30 during the same period a year ago. The decline in deaths comes as the commonwealth on March 1 began implementing a batch of new measures intended to reduce fatal breakdowns of thoroughbreds and increase safety for...
USDA getting tougher on salmonella in chicken products
DES MOINES, Iowa — The federal government on Monday announced proposed new regulations that would force food processors to reduce the amount of salmonella bacteria found in some raw chicken products or risk being shut down. The proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture rules would declare salmonella an adulterant — a...
Pelosi meets Singapore leaders at start of Asia tour
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with officials in Singapore on Monday at the start of her Asian tour, as questions swirled over a possible stop in Taiwan that has fueled tension with Beijing. Pelosi met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halimah...
1st ship carrying Ukrainian grain leaves the port of OdesaVideo
KYIV, Ukraine — The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain set out Monday from the port of Odesa under an internationally brokered deal to unblock the embattled country’s agricultural exports and ease the growing global food crisis. The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni sounded its horn as it departed with over...
Fuel tanker catches fire in Libya; 5 dead, 50 injured
CAIRO — A fuel tanker truck caught fire and exploded Monday in central Libya, killing at least five people and injuring 50 others, authorities said. The incident took place in the central town of Bent Bayya, according to the Health Ministry in the capital of Tripoli. The ministry did not...
17-year-old killed, 4 hurt in stabbings on Wisconsin riverVideo
SOMERSET, Wis. — A Minnesota teenager died and four other people were critically wounded after being stabbed while tubing down a Wisconsin river, authorities said. St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson the victims and suspect, a 52-year-old Minnesota man, were all on the Apple River when the attack happened Saturday...
Michigan professor who made vulgar video quit, settles for $95K
DETROIT — A Michigan professor who was suspended in January for making a profanity-filled video to welcome students settled his legal dispute with a university by accepting $95,000 and agreeing to a three-year gag order. As part of the deal, Barry Mehler retired from Ferris State University rather than face...
Woman gets 2.5 years in police car fires amid 2020 protest
PHILADELPHIA — A woman who pleaded guilty to setting fire to police cars amid the 2020 racial justice protests in Philadelphia has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in federal prison. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that since 35-year-old Lore-Elizabeth Blumenthal of Jenkintown has been in custody since her arrest two...
Biden administration challenges GOP to get burn pits bill passedVideo
WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough expressed confidence the Senate has enough votes to pass a bill to provide health care and benefits to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, even after Republicans stalled the legislation. Forty-one Republican senators switched tactics and moved to force a debate...
Infrastructure damage hampers flood recovery in KentuckyVideo
HINDMAN, Ky. — Damage to critical infrastructure and the arrival of more heavy rains hampered efforts Sunday to help Kentucky residents hit by recent massive flooding, Gov. Andy Beshear said. As residents in Appalachia tried to slowly piece their lives back together, flash flood warnings were issued for at least...
Vulnerable House Democrats see abortion as winning campaign theme
A rare Democrat in a deeply Republican state, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas is one of the most vulnerable incumbents seeking reelection this year. In the final months of her congressional campaign, she is focusing on Republicans’ strict opposition to abortion rights. An online ad she released last week...
Winning lottery jackpot is lucky for some, tragic for others
Dave and Erica Harrig stayed true to their values when they won a lottery jackpot of more than $61 million in 2013. It made all the difference. The couple from Gretna, Nebraska, a community on the outskirts of Omaha where Dave Harrig now is a volunteer firefighter, allowed themselves to...
Drone explosion hits Russia’s Black Sea Fleet headquarters
A small explosive device carried by a makeshift drone blew up Sunday at the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean Peninsula, wounding six people and prompting the cancellation of ceremonies honoring Russia’s navy, authorities said. Meanwhile, one of Ukraine’s richest men, a grain merchant, was killed in...
Biden tests positive for covid-19, returns to isolation
President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of “rebound” following treatment with an anti-viral drug. White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said in a letter that Biden...
‘A very lonely place to be’: Take covid-19 seriously, long-haulers warn
ORLANDO, Fla. — On the rare occasions when Vero Beach resident Neil Passmore goes out in public, he’s often the only one in a mask. When Passmore caught covid-19 in June 2020, the virus hit him hard: He shook with chills, struggled to breathe, his heart raced and he had...
Democrats seem headed, finally, toward triumph on climate, health
It’s been more than a year in the making and has seen plenty of ups and downs. Now, a Democratic economic package focused on climate and health care faces hurdles but seems headed toward party-line passage by Congress next month. Approval would let President Joe Biden and his party claim...
Iraqi protesters storm parliament in Baghdad, set up sit-in
Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the specter of civil strife. Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas...
Fetterman harnesses power of social media in Senate campaign
In one of this year’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, the biggest moments aren’t playing out on the campaign trail. They’re unfolding on social media. For one stunt, Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania rolled out an online petition to get his Republican rival, celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, enshrined...
Navy expedites waterborne drones to close gap with China
Facing a growing threat from China, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harm’s way. The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep...
House passes semi-automatic gun ban after 18-year lapse
The House passed legislation Friday to revive a ban on semi-automatic guns, the first vote of its kind in years and a direct response to the firearms often used in the crush of mass shootings ripping through communities nationwide. Once banned in the U.S., the high-powered firearms are now widely...
