U.S./World category, Page 1079
Australian prime minister is jeered in wildfire-ravaged zone
PERTH, Australia — Prime Minister Scott Morrison was confronted by angry residents who cursed and insulted him Thursday as he visited a wildfire-ravaged corner of the country. Locals in Cobargo, in New South Wales, yelled at him, made obscene gestures and called him an “idiot” and worse, criticizing him for...
Trump’s plan to curb teen vaping exempts some flavors
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials will begin cracking down on most flavored e-cigarettes that are popular with underage teenagers, but their plan includes major exceptions that benefit vaping manufacturers, retailers and adults who use the nicotine-delivery devices. The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will prohibit fruit, candy, mint and...
Flying signpost impales Corvette in multi-vehicle crash
A rogue traffic sign damaged several cars before landing in the back of a sports car along Interstate 95 in Florida. The yellow road sign somehow left its position Tuesday afternoon alongside an onramp at Hallandale Beach and became road debris that some drivers could not avoid, reports 7 News...
Family of Hanukkah attack victim calls for end of hatred
NEW YORK — The daughter of a man gravely wounded in an attack on a Hanukkah celebration north of New York City made an emotional plea Thursday to end hatred and anti-Semitism, saying she hopes her father regains consciousness “to a changed world.” “We want our kids to go to...
Politician who warned about driving drunk is charged with it
VICTOR, N.Y. — The top Republican in the New York State Assembly was charged New Year’s Eve with driving while intoxicated in his state-issued vehicle, just a week after he wrote a newspaper column warning citizens against getting behind the wheel drunk. Brian M. Kolb, a Republican from Canandaigua who...
U.S. Defense Secretary says Iran may be planning more attacks on U.S. interests
WASHINGTON — Iran or its proxy forces may be planning further strikes on American interests in the Middle East, and the United States is prepared to take preemptive military action if it gets sufficient warning, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Thursday. “The game has changed,” Esper said, citing a series...
2-year-old among 3 dead after residential explosion and fire
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 2-year-old girl and two adults were found dead after an explosion ignited a fire at an Ohio home, police said Thursday. The cause of Wednesday evening’s blast in a neighborhood several miles southeast of downtown Columbus remains unclear, so homicide detectives are investigating, authorities said. “They’ll...
Mississippi inmate killed during prison fight amid lockdown
PARCHMAN, Miss. — A Mississippi inmate died and several others were injured in a fight Tuesday among prisoners at the State Penitentiary at Parchman, just days after a separate inmate’s killing led to an ongoing lockdown of dozens of correctional facilities statewide. The fight broke out around 9 p.m. in...
Hunter 1, rattlesnake 0 after scary encounter in deer stand
LEXINGTON, Miss. — A Mississippi hunter says he was trapped in his deer stand when a rattlesnake joined him there last month, but the snake ended up the loser. Mack Ginn of Lexington said he was about two hours into his Dec. 28 stakeout for a deer when he heard...
Julián Castro drops out of 2020 presidential raceVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Former Obama housing secretary Julián Castro on Thursday ended his run for president that pushed the 2020 field on immigration and swung hard at rivals on the debate stage but never found a foothold to climb from the back of the pack. “I’m so proud of the...
Think unauthorized immigrants don’t pay taxes? Here are four ways they do
DALLAS — Unauthorized immigrants don’t pay taxes. It’s one of the most common but inaccurate talking points in the ongoing immigration debate. While some unauthorized immigrants may be paid in cash and avoid federal taxes altogether, some tax experts say it’s almost impossible to imagine anyone in Texas avoiding state...
Militiamen withdraw from U.S. Embassy but Iraq tensions linger
BAGHDAD — Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces, but U.S.-Iran tensions remain high and could spill over into further violence. The withdrawal followed calls from the government and senior militia leaders. It ended a two-day...
‘Captain America’ actress Mollie Fitzgerald charged with killing mom in Kansas
OLATHE, Kan. — An actress who had a small role in the movie “Captain America: The First Avenger” is accused of fatally stabbing her mother inside a suburban Kansas City home. Mollie Fitzgerald, 38, was arrested Tuesday by police in Olathe, Kan., the Kansas City Star reported. She is charged...
Legal weed in Illinois: First day of recreational marijuana sales features long lines, happy customersVideo
CHICAGO — Some revelers in Chicago celebrated New Year’s Eve by waiting for midnight to arrive. But hours later, a different crowd of merrymakers was waiting to celebrate at 6 a.m. when they were able to make their first purchases after the state’s long-awaited introduction of legal marijuana. So far,...
Pope: Sorry I lost patience with hand-shaker who yanked meVideo
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has apologized for hitting the hand of a well-wisher who grabbed him and yanked him toward her. In his new year’s wishes to the public in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Francis confessed to losing his patience with the woman while he was strolling in...
As more women run for office, child care remains a hurdle
SALT LAKE CITY — When Kimberly Dudik ran for her fourth term in the Montana House, state officials told her she could not use campaign money to pay for child care for her four young children. She is now running for attorney general and is trying to visit a big...
Israel PM Netanyahu seeks immunity from corruption charges
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he will seek immunity from corruption charges, likely delaying any trial until after March elections, when he hopes to have a majority coalition that will shield him from prosecution. Netanyahu was indicted in November on charges of accepting bribes, fraud and...
Officials: Taliban target Afghan security forces, killing 26Video
KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban unleashed a new wave of attacks in northern Afghanistan, targeting members of the country’s security forces and killing at least 26, local officials said Wednesday. The insurgents quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban today hold sway over practically half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily...
Floats, marching bands hit the streets for 131st Rose Parade
PASADENA, Calif. — After a flyover by a B-2 stealth bomber, marching bands and floral floats took to the streets under mostly sunny California skies as the 131st Rose Parade drew hundreds of thousands of spectators on New Year’s Day. Among the fanciful floats was an award-winning entry from the...
Cars get trapped in tumbleweeds on Washington state highwayVideo
WEST RICHLAND, Wash. — A Washington state highway was closed closed in both directions Tuesday night after several cars became trapped in tumbleweeds. YakTriNews reported that the Washington State Patrol announced via Twitter at about 6:30 p.m. that drivers on State Route 240 near West Richland should be aware of...
4 homicides in first 3 hours of 2020 in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS — Four people in St. Louis were shot to death in the early hours of the first day of 2020, including three killed at one location. Police were called shortly after midnight to an intersection in the Benton Park neighborhood, where three people were found dead. A fourth...
Family: Man stabbed in Hanukkah attack may have brain damage
NEW YORK — A man wounded in the Hanukkah stabbings north of New York City may have permanent brain damage and be partially paralyzed for the rest of his life, his family said. The Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council released a statement from the family of Josef Neumann, 71, and...
7 shot at bar in West Virginia on New Year’s DayVideo
HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — Seven people were injured in a shooting at a bar in West Virginia early New Year’s Day, police said. The shooting happened early Wednesday at the Kulture Hookah Bar in Huntington, interim Huntington Police Chief Ray Cornwell said in a news release. The statement said several...
About 5,000 golden eagles winter in eastern U.S.
Golden eagles are back from Canada, spending the winter in the eastern U.S. Researcher Trish Miller said there are probably around 5,000 east of the Mississippi River, compared to estimates of 1,000 to 2,500 when she and her husband, Michael Lanzone, began studying them in 2005. Other scientists have come...
Man caught on video snatching woman from NYC subway train
NEW YORK — New York police arrested a man after a video surfaced showing him apparently trying to abduct a woman on the subway. Sonny Alloway, 48, was charged with unlawful imprisonment on suspicion of grabbing a young woman and carrying her off a No. 6 train Sunday in the...
