U.S./World category, Page 190
IRS turmoil: Leadership churn, worker exodus and threats to groups’ tax-exempt status roil agency
WASHINGTON — The height of tax season was the height of turmoil at the IRS. The agency shuffled through three acting directors over the course of a week. It’s preparing to lose tens of thousands of workers to layoffs and voluntary retirements. And President Donald Trump is weighing in on...
Orders to leave the country — some for U.S. citizens — sow confusion among immigrants
McALLEN, Texas — Hubert Montoya burst out laughing when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security emailed to say he should leave the country immediately or risk consequences of being deported. He is a U.S. citizen. “I just thought it was absurd,” the Austin, Texas, immigration attorney said. It was an...
Evacuation orders lifted as fast-moving New Jersey wildfire burns
BARNEGAT TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A fast-moving wildfire was burning in New Jersey, but officials on Wednesday lifted earlier evacuation orders and a stretch of a major highway that was closed due to the blaze has reopened. More than 1,300 structures were threatened and about 3,000 residents had been evacuated, the...
A set of 1st editions of Shakespeare’s plays could fetch $6 million at auction
LONDON — A set of the first four editions of William Shakespeare’s collected works is expected to sell for up to $6 million at auction next month. Sotheby’s auction house announced the sale on Wednesday, Shakespeare’s 461st birthday. It said the May 23 sale will be the first time since...
Israeli strike on school-turned-shelter kills 23 as Arab mediators seek long-term Gaza truce
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An overnight Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed 23 people, as Arab mediators worked on a proposal to end the war with Hamas that would include a five to seven year truce and the release of all remaining hostages, officials said Wednesday....
A woman hugs the man who fatally shot her brother and 22 more in a racist attack at a Texas Walmart
Speaking to the gunman who killed her brother and 22 other people, Yolanda Tinajero did not raise her voice or condemn him for his racist attack at a Walmart in 2019. Instead she told him Tuesday that she forgave him, and wished she could give him a hug. The judge,...
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...
