U.S./World category, Page 376
Pope shows off rosary of slain Ukrainian soldier, denounces ‘madness of war’
ROME — Pope Francis led thousands of people in a moment of silence Wednesday to pray for the aid workers killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza and a young Ukrainian soldier named Oleksandre who was killed in ”this madness of war.” Francis appealed anew for an immediate cease-fire in...
Tsunami threat largely passes after strong earthquake strikes TaiwanVideo
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The tsunami threat from a strong earthquake that struck Taiwan has largely passed. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its forecast from 9.8 feet to 3.3 feet. One island had a wave of about a foot, while smaller waves were detected in other islands. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary...
Video shows California deputies fatally shooting abducted teen as she runs toward them
LOS ANGELES — A teenage girl who had been kidnapped by her father was following a sheriff’s deputy’s instructions and appeared to be surrendering when other deputies fatally shot her during a gun battle on a Southern California highway, according to recently released video and audio. Savannah Graziano, 15, was...
Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after months of delays by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been idling at the White House for months. The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It...
Deadly severe weather roars through several states, spawning potential tornadoesVideo
Thousands of homes and businesses were without power Tuesday as severe weather roared through several states, causing at least one death and spawning possible tornadoes. In West Virginia, about 140,000 customers were without electricity Tuesday afternoon, or about 14% of all customers tracked in the state by poweroutage.us. Meanwhile, a...
U.S. job openings rise modestly to 8.8 million in February in strong labor market
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings barely changed in February, staying at historically high levels in a sign that the American job market remains strong. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 8.76 million job vacancies in February, up modestly from 8.75 million in January and about what economists had...
Hospitals must obtain written consent for pelvic and similar exams, the federal government says
Hospitals must obtain written informed consent from patients before subjecting them to pelvic exams and exams of other sensitive areas — especially if an exam will be done while the patient is unconscious, the federal government said Monday. New guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services now...
Ukraine aims drones at oil refinery, drone factory in its deepest strike yet inside Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian drones attacked one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries and a drone factory in the Russian province of Tatarstan, officials said Tuesday, in what appeared to be Kyiv’s deepest strike inside Russian territory since the war began more than two years ago. The attack on facilities near...
Biden will host Muslim leaders at White House for working meeting on Gaza, scaled-down Iftar dinner
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is hosting a small group of Muslim American community leaders at the White House for a meeting on Tuesday followed by a scaled-down Iftar dinner, as he seeks to relieve tensions over his administration’s staunch support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Biden and...
Fire at an Istanbul nightclub during renovations kills at least 29 peopleVideo
ISTANBUL — A fire at an Istanbul nightclub during renovations on Tuesday killed at least 29 people, officials and reports said. Several people, including managers of the club, were detained for questioning. At least one person was being treated at a hospital, the Istanbul governor’s office said in a statement....
Couples eager to elope under the eclipse in ArkansasVideo
Wedding fireworks are no match for getting married under a solar eclipse. Nearly 300 couples are anticipating tying the knot Monday in an Arkansas ceremony, moments before the moon lines up perfectly between the Earth and sun, casting parts of North America in darkness. Elope at the Eclipse in Russellville,...
College will cost up to $95,000 this fall. Schools say it’s OK, financial aid can numb sticker shock
MEREDITH, N.H. — As more than 2 million graduating high school students from across the United States finalize their decisions on what college to attend this fall, many are facing jaw-dropping costs — in some cases, as much as $95,000. A number of private colleges — some considered elite and...
New York inmates are suing to watch the solar eclipse after state orders prisons locked down
NEW YORK — Inmates in New York are suing the state corrections department over the decision to lock down prisons during next Monday’s total solar eclipse. The suit filed Friday in federal court in upstate New York argues that the April 8 lockdown violates inmates’ constitutional rights to practice their...
With famine looming, aid group halts food delivery in Gaza after Israeli strike kills 7 workers
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An international charity suspended delivery of food to starving Palestinians on Tuesday, a day after an Israeli airstrike killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen who were trying to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Ships still laden with some 240 tons of aid...
Pope exposes confidential details of past conclaves and settles scores with Pope Benedict XVI’s aide
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has exposed the political “maneuvers” used to sway votes during the two most recent elections of popes, while denying he is planning to reform the process for future conclaves, in a book-length interview published Tuesday. The revelations are contained in “Pope Francis, Successor: My Memories...
Powerball jackpot rises to $1.09 billion, stretches a 3-month losing streak
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Powerball jackpot climbed to an estimated $1.09 billion after no one matched the six numbers drawn Monday night, continuing a three-month winless streak for the top prize. The numbers drawn were: 19, 24, 40, 42, 56 and the Powerball 23. No one has won Powerball’s...
Judge expands Trump’s gag order after ex-president’s social media posts about judge’s daughterVideo
NEW YORK — The judge in Donald Trump’s April 15 hush-money criminal trial declared his family off-limits to the former president’s rancor on Monday, expanding a gag order days after Trump assailed his daughter and made false claims about her on social media. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan amended a...
Western honey bee colonies at risk of collapse, study finds
SEATTLE — One of nature’s most important keystone species is working itself to death. Colonies of honey bees — crucial pollinators for a wide variety of plants and cash crops — are at risk of collapse because of climate change, a recent study by scientists at Washington State University and...
YouTuber, motorcycle rider pleads guilty in Colorado speed case
DENVER — The 32-year-old YouTuber who filmed himself driving from Colorado Springs to Denver in 20 minutes while reaching speeds over 150 mph on Interstate 25 pleaded guilty to speed exhibition in a deal with the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Rendon Dietzmann, who posts on YouTube under the username...
North Korea fires an intermediate-range missile into its eastern waters, South Korea says
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea test-fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile toward waters off its eastern coast Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, as it pushes to advance its weapons aimed at remote U.S. targets in the Pacific. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from...
A channel has opened for vessels clearing wreckage at the Baltimore bridge collapse site
BALTIMORE — The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a temporary, alternate channel for vessels involved in clearing debris from the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, part of a phased approach to opening the main shipping channel leading to the vital port, officials said Monday. Crews are undertaking the...
Person diagnosed with bird flu after being in contact with cows in Texas
ATLANTA — A person in Texas has been diagnosed with bird flu, an infection tied to the recent discovery of the virus in dairy cows, health officials said Monday. The patient was being treated with an antiviral drug and their only reported symptom was eye redness, Texas health officials said....
Judge refuses to toss out tax case against Hunter Biden
WASHINGTON — A judge refused Monday to toss out a tax case against Hunter Biden, moving the case closer to the possible spectacle of a trial as his father campaigns for another term as president. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi denied eight motions to dismiss the indictment accusing President Joe...
Japan’s royal family makes formal debut on Instagram as world’s oldest monarchy tries to draw youth
TOKYO — Japan’s imperial family made an Instagram debut with a barrage of posts Monday, hoping to shake off their reclusive image and reach out to younger people on social media. The Imperial Household Agency, a government agency in charge of the family’s affairs, posted 60 photos and five videos...
Germany has legalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. But the buzz may not last
FRANKFURT, Germany — Marijuana campaigners in Germany lit celebratory joints Monday as the country legalized possession of small amounts of cannabis for recreational use — a step that hasn’t ended the debate over the drug. The German Cannabis Association, which campaigned for the new law, staged a “smoke-in” at Berlin’s...
