U.S./World category, Page 255
Thousands in Ukraine honor soldiers killed in blast and urge government to get prisoners freed
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainians urged their government to do more to get Russia to release prisoners of war, voicing their anger on Sunday at a ceremony commemorating the second anniversary of an explosion that killed more than 50. Several thousand soldiers and civilians gathered at Kyiv’s Independence Square Sunday to...
Minnesota prepares for influx of patients from Iowa as abortion ban takes effect
BLOOMINGTON, Minn — Minnesota medical providers and public officials are preparing to welcome patients traveling from Iowa, where a ban on most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy goes into effect Monday. On Thursday, Minnesota’s Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan toured the Whole Woman’s Health of Minnesota, a nonprofit...
Fires in the West are becoming ever bigger, consuming. Why and what can be done?
Decades of snuffing out fires at the first sign of smoke combined with climate change have laid the groundwork for a massive wildfire in northern California and scores of smaller ones across the western U.S. and Canada, experts say. These fires are moving faster and are harder to fight than...
Strike on Israeli Golan Heights kills 11, threatens to spark wider war
TEL AVIV, Israel — A rocket strike Saturday at a soccer field killed at least 11 children and teens, Israeli authorities said, in the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country’s northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. It raised fears...
An Israeli airstrike hits a school sheltering people in Gaza, killing at least 30 including children
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes hit a school used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 30 people including several children, as the country’s negotiators prepared to meet international mediators about a proposed cease-fire. Seven children and seven women were among the dead taken...
Justice Department says TikTok collected U.S. user views on issues like abortion and gun control
WASHINGTON — In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department is accusing TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. Government lawyers wrote in documents filed...
Wreckage of schooner that sank in 1893 found in Lake Michigan
ALGOMA, Wis. — Marine archaeologists have discovered the wreckage of a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in the late 1800s. The Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association announced this month that its searchers found the Margaret A. Muir in 50 feet (15.2 meters) of water off Algoma, Wisconsin, on May 12....
California’s largest wildfire explodes in size as fires rage across U.S. West
California’s largest active fire exploded in size on Friday evening, growing rapidly amid bone-dry fuel and threatening thousands of homes as firefighters scrambled to meet the danger. The Park Fire’s intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of...
Life and death in the heat. What it feels like when Earth’s temperatures soar to record highs
BENI MELLAL, Morocco — In the unrelenting heat of Morocco’s Middle Atlas, people were sleeping on rooftops. Hanna Ouhbour needed refuge too, but she was outside a hospital waiting for her diabetic cousin who was in a room without air conditioning. On Wednesday, there were 21 heat-related deaths at Beni...
The best and worst uniforms spotted at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremonyVideo
The pomp and circumstance of the 2024 Paris Olympics was on display Friday during the opening ceremony. The Parade of Nations promenade provided an opportunity for 205 nations to present their flags — and specially-made national uniforms to match. The opening ceremony kicked off this year’s games on the Seine...
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally. “What struck...
Judge takes final step to overturn Florida’s ‘Stop WOKE Act’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A judge issued a final order Friday to overturn a Florida law pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that attempted to limit diversity and race-based discussions in private workplaces. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker previously ruled the law is unconstitutional. That decision was upheld by an appeals...
People flee Idaho town through tunnel of fire and smoke as Western wildfires spread
Lightning strikes have sparked fast-moving wildfires in Idaho, prompting the evacuation of multiple communities, including one in which a man drove past a building and trees engulfed in flames as a tunnel of smoke rose over the roadway. Videos posted to social media include a man who said he heard...
Autopsy findings confirm Sonya Massey, Black woman shot by deputy, died from gunshot wound to head
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Autopsy findings released Friday on Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman fatally shot in her Illinois home by a now-fired sheriff’s deputy charged in her death, confirm that she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon had previously disclosed initial findings...
Social media users call for Netflix boycott after co-founder’s donation to Kamala Harris’ campaign
Netflix is facing online backlash following the $7 million donation its co-founder Reed Hastings made toward Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential election campaign, Variety reported. Hastings co-founded Netflix in 1997 and served as CEO for 25 years before stepping down, according to Variety, and this is the largest single campaign...
Agreement with Russia is ‘deal with the devil,’ adviser to Ukrainian president says
KYIV, Ukraine — Signing an agreement with Russia to stop the war with Ukraine would amount to signing a deal with the devil, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as pressure mounts on the country to seek an end to more than two years of fighting. A...
Sunken treasure: Is the champagne nestled in a 19th-century shipwreck still fit for a toast?
WARSAW, Poland — Is the 19th century Champagne on the bottom of the Baltic Sea still fit for a toast? A team of Polish divers has discovered the wreckage of an old sailing ship loaded “to the brim” with luxury goods including porcelain items and about 100 bottles of Champagne...
Paris Olympics off to rough start, with sabotaged trains and weather dampening mood before opening
PARIS — The Paris Olympics were getting off to a rough start Friday, with suspected acts of sabotage targeting France’s flagship high-speed rail network and cloudy skies and forecast rains over the French capital ahead of its sprawling, ambitious opening ceremony. On a day of utmost importance for France and...
‘El Mayo’ Zambada, historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and son of ‘El Chapo’ arrested in U.S.
WASHINGTON — Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said. A leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for decades alongside Joaquín “El...
California Supreme Court upholds Proposition 22, ending legal saga over status of gig drivers
The California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Proposition 22, the voter initiative that allows Uber, Lyft and other gig economy companies to classify drivers for their ride-hailing and delivery services as independent contractors rather than as employees. In a unanimous decision released Thursday morning, the state’s top court rejected claims...
Kamala Harris is using Beyoncé’s ‘Freedom’ as her campaign song: What to know about the anthem
NEW YORK — In Vice President Kamala Harris’ first 2024 presidential campaign video, a familiar rhythm rings out. The clip, which touches on issues of gun violence, health care and abortion, is soundtracked by Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” a cut from her 2016 landmark album, “Lemonade.” “We choose freedom,” Harris says in...
Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court
A court case could soon settle a spicy dispute: Who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented the popular flavor of Cheetos snacks. PepsiCo said Thursday it has no comment on the lawsuit,...
The Olympics are coming to the capital of fashion. Expect uniforms befitting a Paris runway
PARIS — Sure, they call it the City of Light. But Paris is also the City of Fashion, one of most influential fashion capitals of the world for decades, no, centuries (remember Louis XIV?) So it’s no surprise that fashion designers across the globe are busy getting their national team...
U.S. viewers’ Olympics interest is down, poll finds, except for Simone Biles
PARIS—Following low ratings for the coronavirus pandemic-marred Tokyo and Beijing Olympics, Paris may not do much better among U.S. viewers, a new Gallup poll released Thursday found. Simone Biles and women’s gymnastics are poised to be a bright spot, with those surveyed selecting it as their most anticipated sport. But...
Workers go on strike at 5-star Paris hotel where IOC members are staying for Olympics
Workers went on strike Thursday at the five-star hotel in Paris where members of the International Olympic Committee are staying, walking out just a day before the opening ceremony of the Games. According to the major French union CGT, the IOC paid the hotel where staffers were striking, Hôtel du...
