U.S./World category, Page 151
The Vatican opens St. Peter’s Basilica to public to pay final respects to Pope Francis
The body of Pope Francis was moved Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public mourning for an Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace. The public viewing is largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope,...
Private security guards charged after woman was dragged out of chaotic Idaho town hall meeting
Prosecutors in northern Idaho have filed misdemeanor charges against six men in connection with the forcible removal of a woman from a legislative town hall meeting in February. Theresa Borrenpohl, the woman who was dragged out of the meeting in a Coeur d’Alene school building by plain-clothed private security officers,...
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America
WASHINGTON — A federal judge agreed Tuesday to block the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America, the 83-year-old international news service created by Congress. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that the administration illegally required Voice of America to cease operations for the first time since its World War...
Jury finds The New York Times did not libel former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin
NEW YORK — The New York Times did not libel former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for an error in a 2017 editorial that she says damaged her reputation, a jury concluded Tuesday. The jury deliberated a little over two hours before reaching its verdict after lawyers for Palin and the...
What do ‘expert level’ talks signal for the progress of the Iran-US nuclear negotiations?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program will move to what’s known as the “expert level” — a sign analysts say shows that the talks are moving forward rapidly. However, experts not involved in the talks who spoke with...
Treasury secretary says trade war with China is not ‘sustainable’Video
WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between...
N.J. school bus driver charged with DWI had 25 juveniles on board, cops say
An Essex County, New Jersey, man is accused of driving a school bus while intoxicated with 25 juveniles on board and crashing into a median along Interstate 80. Pierre R. Tranquilus, 47, of the 100 block of South Center Street in East Orange is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare...
RFK Jr. plans to phase out 8 artificial dyes from U.S. food supply
WASHINGTON — U.S. health officials said they plan to phase out eight petroleum-based artificial colors from the nation’s food supply, triggering an overhaul of scores of brightly hued products on American store shelves. Details of the plan are expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy...
Student loans in default will be sent for collection. Here’s what to know for borrowers
NEW YORK — Starting next month, the Education Department says student loans that are in default will be referred for collections. Roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans and soon could be subject to having their wages garnished. Referrals for collection had been put on...
Marco Rubio unveils massive overhaul of State Department, with a reduction of staff, bureaus
Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled a massive overhaul of the State Department on Tuesday, with plans to reduce staff in the U.S. by 15% while closing and consolidating more than 100 bureaus worldwide as part of the Trump administration’s “America First” mandate. The reorganization plan, announced by Rubio on...
From ‘conclave’ to ‘white smoke,’ a glossary of terms used in a papal transition
A change in popes — through death or resignation — is a complicated process, with centuries-old rituals involving the transition in leadership for both the spiritual head of the global Catholic Church and the Vatican’s head of state. These are the need-to-know terms — some of them in Latin —...
Gold soars to a new high as economic uncertainty deepens. Here’s what to know
NEW YORK — As economic uncertainty deepens worldwide, gold prices have notched more and more record highs. That’s because gold sales can rise sharply when anxious investors seek “safe havens” for parking their money. Gold’s current rally arrives as President Donald Trump’s announces new tariffs on economic allies and foes...
Immigrants in the U.S. unlawfully can drive legally in 19 states. Now some states want to stop them
As drivers on U.S. highways cross from one state to another, they often are greeted by a large “Welcome to ….” sign. But not all drivers are welcome in every state. In Florida, motorists with special out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to those in the U.S. illegally are not welcome to...
Indian police say gunmen kill at least 26 tourists at resort in disputed Kashmir
SRINAGAR, India — Gunmen shot dead at least 26 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Tuesday, in what appeared to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared. Police described the incident as a “terror attack” and blamed militants fighting...
Anti-Defamation League says anger at Israel is now the driving force behind antisemitism in the U.S.
NEW YORK — The Anti-Defamation League says the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States reached a record high last year and notes that 58% of the 9,354 incidents related to Israel, notably chants, speeches and signs at rallies protesting Israeli policies. In a report released Tuesday, the ADL,...
Pope Francis lies in state ahead of his funeral, set for Saturday
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis ’ funeral has been set for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, and a viewing of his body will begin Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica, days after the popular pontiff died of a stroke at age 88. He is currently lying in state...
Supreme Court signals support for Maryland parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schoolsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Tuesday signaled support for the religious rights of parents in Maryland who want to remove their children from elementary school classes using storybooks with LGBTQ characters. The court seemed likely to find that the Montgomery County school system, in suburban Washington, could...
Russian drones batter Ukraine’s Odesa as peace talks come to a crux
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones battered the Ukrainian port city of Odesa in a nighttime attack, local authorities said Tuesday, less than 24 hours after a purported Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by Moscow ended and just over a day before Ukrainian, British, French and U.S. officials are due to meet...
Walgreens to pay up to $350 million in U.S. opioid settlement
Walgreens has agreed to pay up to $350 million in a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, who accused the pharmacy of illegally filling millions of prescriptions in the past decade for opioids and other controlled substances. The nationwide drugstore chain must pay the government at least $300 million...
Wife of detained Columbia activist says her husband was denied release for his son’s birth
NEW YORK — The wife of detained Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil accused federal immigration officials of purposely denying a request for her husband to attend the birth of their first child in order to make the family suffer. Noor Abdalla said in a statement that she had to...
Delta plane catches fire at Orlando airport, forcing passenger evacuationsVideo
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Delta Air Lines airplane caught fire on Monday before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, forcing the evacuation of passengers, airport officials said. There were no reports of any injuries during the fire on the plane at Orlando International Airport, Delta...
Supreme Court appears likely to uphold Obamacare’s preventive care coverage mandate
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday. Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court’s three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare’s process for deciding which services must be...
Harvard sues Trump administration to stop freeze of more than $2 billion in grants
BOSTON — Harvard University announced Monday that it was suing the Trump administration to halt a freeze on more than $2.2 billion in grants after the institution said it would defy the Trump administration’s demands to limit activism on campus. In a letter to Harvard earlier this month, the Trump...
Wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez convicted in bribery scheme
NEW YORK — Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was convicted Monday of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car from three New Jersey men looking for help with their business dealings or legal troubles. The jury...
Student loans in default to be referred to debt collection, Education Department saysVideo
WASHINGTON — The Education Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday. Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans. The Trump administration ’s announcement marks an...
