U.S./World category, Page 637
Toxic exposure bill would rewrite America’s compact with veterans
WASHINGTON — In a year in which Congress has strained for legislative achievements, a big one is in sight. When senators return from a Memorial Day recess spent honoring those who gave their lives for the United States, they will take up a bipartisan bill that will dramatically broaden America’s...
Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere shoot past key milestone
The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has shot past a key milestone — more than 50% higher than pre-industrial times — and is at levels not seen since millions of years ago when Earth was a hothouse ocean-inundated planet, federal scientists announced Friday. The National Oceanic and...
Russia may be in Ukraine to stay after 100 days of war
When Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine in late February, the Russian president vowed his forces would not occupy the neighboring country. But as the invasion reached its 100th day Friday, Russia seemed increasingly unlikely to relinquish the territory it has taken in the war. The ruble is now an...
Envoy says U.S., allies preparing for North Korean nuclear test
SEOUL, South Korea — President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea said Friday the United States is “preparing for all contingencies” in close coordination with its South Korean and Japanese allies as it monitors North Korean arrangements for a possible nuclear test explosion that outside officials say could be...
Satellite images suggest new Chinese carrier close to launch
BANGKOK — China’s most advanced aircraft carrier to date appears to be nearing completion, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Friday, as experts suggested the vessel could be launched soon. The newly developed Type 003 carrier has been under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard northeast of Shanghai since...
Police say man shoots 2 females, self outside Iowa church
AMES, Iowa — A man shot two females to death and then apparently killed himself Thursday night outside a church in Ames, authorities said. The man killed the two females outside the Cornerstone Church, a megachurch on the outskirts of Ames, Story County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Nicholas Lennie told the...
Biden appeals for tougher gun laws: ‘How much more carnage?’Video
WASHINGTON — “Enough, enough,” President Joe Biden exclaimed over and over Thursday night, as he delivered an impassioned address to the nation imploring Congress to take action against gun violence after mass shootings he said had turned schools, supermarkets and other everyday places into “killing fields.” If legislators fail to...
As Amber Heard plans appeal, lawyer says she can’t pay Johnny Depp $10.4 million
Amber Heard will “absolutely” appeal the verdict reached this week in her defamation trial against ex-husband Johnny Depp, her attorney announced Thursday morning. Elaine Bredehoft, who represented the “Aquaman” actor at the trial in Fairfax, Virginia, told NBC’s “Today” show that her client has “excellent grounds” for an appeal after...
Police: Multiple victims in Wisconsin cemetery shootingVideo
RACINE, Wis. — A shooting on Thursday afternoon at a cemetery south of Milwaukee resulted in multiple victims, police said. Racine police said on social media that numerous shots were fired about 2:30 p.m. at Graceland Cemetery in Racine, about 30 miles south of Milwaukee. Ascension All Saints Hospital, which...
Local governments reject $73 million in pandemic aid
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — From small towns to big cities, every government across the U.S. was offered a slice of $350 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds to help shore up their finances, cover pandemic-related costs and invest in community projects. Officials in 1,468 local governments effectively said “no,” turning...
Illinois mom killed, 2 kids hurt parasailing in Florida KeysVideo
PIGEON KEY, Fla. — A woman from Illinois was killed and two young children were injured when a sudden storm prompted a boat captain to cut loose their parasail, which then dragged them across the ocean and slammed them into a bridge in the Florida Keys, authorities said. A nearby...
Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction upheld by appeals court
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Thursday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction and 23-year prison sentence, rejecting the movie mogul’s claim that the judge at his landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced him by letting women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the criminal case. The ruling by...
Police: Tulsa gunman targeted surgeon he blamed for painVideo
A gunman who killed his surgeon and three other people at a Tulsa medical office blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after a recent back operation and bought an AR-style rifle just hours before the rampage, police said Thursday. The gunman called the clinic repeatedly complaining of pain and...
‘Day by day:’ Uvalde survivors recover from wounds, traumaVideo
UVALDE, Texas — Bullet fragments lodged in the children’s arms and legs. Traumatic flashbacks flooding their nightmares. For the 17 people injured during a mass shooting last week in Uvalde, Texas, healing will be slow in a community mourning the deaths of 21 others. As the tight-knit town of 16,000...
Monkeypox outbreak needs a united response, says WHO Africa
ABUJA, Nigeria — Africa must be part of a united global fight against monkeypox, the World Health Organization’s Africa office said Thursday, as countries in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere respond to unusual outbreaks of the disease. “We must have one connected global response to monkeypox to avoid it becoming...
Russia warns West of weapons repercussions, pounds Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Britain pledged Thursday to send sophisticated medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine, joining the U.S and Germany in equipping the embattled nation with advanced weapons for shooting down aircraft and destroying artillery. Western arms have been critical to Ukraine’s success in stymieing Russia’s much larger and better-equipped military...
Howard Johnson’s: Last of once popular eateries closed in N.Y.
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. — The Howard Johnson’s restaurant in this upstate New York resort village — the last of the once-pervasive eateries serving food under orange roofs with blue spires — is closed. The restaurant just south of Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains did not open over Memorial Day...
Boston manhole blasts send 1 to hospital, force evacuations
BOSTON — Two manholes exploded in downtown Boston on Thursday morning, pouring smoke into the streets, forcing the evacuation of two buildings and sending one person to the hospital with burns, authorities said. The explosions, which also shattered a window, were reported around 8:30 a.m. near the High Street and...
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un congratulates Queen Elizabeth II
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says its leader, Kim Jong Un, sent a letter congratulating Queen Elizabeth II as Britain began a four-day celebration marking her 70 years on the throne. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said on its website Thursday that Kim sent a letter congratulating the queen and...
Sea turtle delivers eggs, endures surgery after shark attack
MIAMI — A loggerhead turtle whose left fin was destroyed in a shark attack is rehabbing at Zoo Miami’s new Sea Turtle Hospital, where veterinarians were able to save more than 100 of her eggs after she was rescued. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sent the turtle to...
Indian officials hold 1st talks with Taliban in Afghanistan
NEW DELHI — Indian officials held talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan for the first time Thursday since the group took control of the country last year to discuss the distribution of humanitarian assistance, the External Affairs Ministry said. India has no formal diplomatic ties with the Taliban government, but...
Israeli troops kill Palestinian during West Bank fighting
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian during fighting in the occupied West Bank early Thursday. He was the third Palestinian to be killed in a little over 24 hours at a time of heightened Mideast tensions. The Israeli military said forces operating in the Dheisheh...
Trump election probe grand jury to hear from Raffensperger
ATLANTA — Georgia’s top elections official was expected to appear Thursday before a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to meddle in the 2020 election in the state. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was summoned to the Fulton County courthouse where the special...
UN says Yemen’s warring parties agree to renew truce
CAIRO — The United Nations said Thursday that Yemen’s warring parties have agreed to renew a nationwide truce for another two months. The announcement is a glimmer of hope for the country, plagued by eight years of civil war, though significant obstacles remain to lasting peace. The cease-fire between Yemen’s...
OPEC+ alliance boosts oil production as energy prices soar
LONDON — The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries including Russia will raise production by 648,000 barrels per day in July and August, offering modest relief for a global economy suffering from soaring energy prices and the resulting inflation. The decision Thursday steps up the pace by the alliance,...
