U.S./World category, Page 321
A new version of Scrabble aims to make the word-building game more accessible
NEW YORK — Scrabble is getting a bit of a makeover, at least in Europe. Mattel has unveiled a double-sided board that features both the classic word-building game and Scrabble Together, a new rendition designed to be accessible “for anyone who finds word games intimidating.” This new version, which is...
Conservative hoaxers to pay up to $1.25M under agreement with New York over 2020 robocall scheme
ALBANY, N.Y. — Two conservative political operatives who orchestrated a robocall campaign to dissuade Black people from voting in the 2020 election have agreed to pay up to $1.25 million under a settlement with New York state, Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday. The operatives, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman,...
Wisconsin governor vetoes Republican-backed bill targeting PFAS chemicals
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a Republican bill Tuesday that would have created grants to fight pollution from “forever chemicals” and took the unusual step of calling the GOP-controlled budget committee into meeting to approve spending $125 million to deal with contamination. Evers has only called a...
New EPA rule says 218 U.S. chemical plants must reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer
WASHINGTON — More than 200 chemical plants nationwide will be required to reduce toxic emissions that are likely to cause cancer under a new rule issued Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The rule advances President Joe Biden’s commitment to environmental justice by delivering critical health protections for communities burdened...
Ancient sea turtle housed at Boston aquarium for more than 50 years passes another physical
BOSTON — Apparently, it’s pretty easy being green after all. That was the takeaway from Tuesday’s physical examination of Myrtle, an ancient green sea turtle that has delighted visitors to the New England Aquarium in Boston for more than 50 years. Veterinarians performed Myrtle’s checkup after the 500-pound reptile was...
Istanbul airport provides anxious travelers with paw-sitive experience by hiring 5 therapy dogs
ISTANBUL — Five new hires are selflessly roaming the halls of one of the world’s busiest transportation hubs, hoping to provide a paw-sitively stress-free travel experience for anxious passengers. Meet Istanbul Airport’s therapy dogs — always ready to offer support with snuggles, belly rubs and sloppy kisses. The Associated Press...
Arizona can enforce an 1864 law criminalizing nearly all abortions, court says
PHOENIX — Arizona can soon enforce a long-dormant law criminalizing all abortions except when a mother’s life is at stake, the state Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, opening the door to prosecuting doctors who perform the procedures. Under the decision, a long-dormant law that predates Arizona’s statehood would take effect. It...
Judge dismisses lawsuit of injured Dakota Access pipeline protester
BISMARCK, N.D. — A federal judge in North Dakota has dismissed the excessive-force lawsuit of a New York woman who was injured in an explosion during the protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline. In orders on Wednesday and Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor granted motions to dismiss...
Michigan school shooter’s parents sentenced to at least 10 years in prisonVideo
PONTIAC, Mich. — The parents of a Michigan school shooter were each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison Tuesday for failing to take steps that could have prevented the killing of four students in 2021. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass...
Netanyahu vows to carry out Rafah invasion, which U.S. says would be a mistake
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has escalated his pledge to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying a date has been set for the ground offensive into the city filled with around 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom are displaced from other parts of the Gaza Strip. The United...
Can’t get enough of the total solar eclipse or got clouded out? Here are the next ones to watch for
DALLAS — Whether you saw the moon completely block the sun, were foiled by cloudy weather or weren’t along the path of Monday’s total solar eclipse, there are still more chances to catch a glimpse. Here’s what to know about upcoming solar spectacles: When is the next total solar eclipse?...
Simon Harris installed as Ireland’s new prime minister — the country’s youngest leader
LONDON — Lawmaker Simon Harris was elected Ireland’s prime minister by a vote in parliament Tuesday, becoming at 37 the country’s youngest-ever leader. Harris takes over as head of Ireland’s three-party coalition government from Leo Varadkar, who announced his surprise resignation last month. Harris, who served as higher education minister...
Norfolk Southern agrees to pay $600M in settlement related to East Palestine train derailment
Norfolk Southern has agreed to pay $600 million in a class-action lawsuit settlement for a fiery February 2023 train derailment in Ohio, but residents worry the money not only won’t go far enough to cover future health needs that could be tremendous but also won’t amount to much once divvied...
Verdict saying Switzerland violated rights by failing on climate action could ripple across Europe
STRASBOURG, France — Europe’s highest human rights court ruled Tuesday that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change, siding with a group of older Swiss women against their government in a landmark ruling that could have implications across the continent. The European Court of Human...
Explosive device thrown onto porch of Satanic Temple in Massachusetts, no injuries reported
SALEM, Mass. — Someone threw an explosive device onto the porch of The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts at a time when no one was inside, and the device and damage it caused were not found until nearly 12 hours later, police said. No injuries were reported. State police bomb technicians...
Over 200 women, several men accuse doctor in lawsuit of sexual abuse, unnecessary exams
BOSTON — More than a decade ago, Kristin Fritz was struggling with pain in her spine and saw a rheumatologist recommended by her doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. The visit with Dr. Derrick Todd started normally for the 37-year-old New Hampshire woman. But as Todd progressed, he...
Olympic rings for Paris Games will be displayed on Eiffel Tower
PARIS — The Olympic rings will be displayed on the Eiffel Tower, organizers said in a statement on Tuesday, as the French capital prepares to mark 100 days until the start of the Paris Games. A 95-foot-long and 49-foot-high structure of five Olympic rings, made entirely of recycled French steel,...
Conservative Christians praise Trump’s anti-abortion record but say he’s stopped short of the goal
For conservative, anti-abortion Christians, former President Donald Trump delivered in four years what no other Republican before him had been able to do: A conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court that would go on to overturn Roe v. Wade, a Holy Grail of the movement. With abortion rights now controlled by...
Prosecutors urge Supreme Court to reject Trump’s immunity claims in election subversion case
WASHINGTON — Special counsel Jack Smith’s team urged the Supreme Court on Monday night to reject former President Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with scheming to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The brief from prosecutors was submitted just...
3 dead, including suspect, after shooting inside Las Vegas law office, police say
LAS VEGAS — A shooting Monday inside a law office in the affluent Summerlin neighborhood of Las Vegas left three people dead, including the shooter, police said. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said at a news conference that investigators believe the shooter killed himself. “I want to make sure our...
New York appeals judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to delay hush money trial
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he fights to move the case out of Manhattan. The decision came Monday, a week before jury selection was set to start. Trump’s lawyers...
Investigators scour scene of Easter Sunday heist in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — Investigators probing the heist of up to $30 million from a vault in the San Fernando Valley on Easter Sunday have scrubbed the scene, searching for fingerprints, DNA evidence and other materials, according to law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation. Federal and local officials have...
Justice Department blasts GOP effort to hold Attorney General Garland in contempt over Biden audio
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday blasted Republicans’ effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt over his refusal to turn over unredacted materials related to the special counsel probe into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the Justice...
‘Panama Papers’ trial starts: 27 charged in worldwide money laundering case
PANAMA CITY — The trial of 27 people charged in connection with the worldwide “Panama Papers” money laundering started Monday in a Panamanian criminal court. Those on trial include the owners of the Mossack-Fonseca law firm that was at the heart of the 2016 massive document leak. The Panama Papers...
Biden promotes ‘life-changing’ student loan relief as he rallies younger voters
MADISON, Wis. — President Joe Biden said Monday that more than 30 million borrowers would see “life-changing” relief from his new plan to ease their student loan debt burdens, a fresh attempt by the Democratic president to follow through on a campaign pledge that could buoy his standing with younger...
