U.S./World category, Page 661
Man found guilty of killing wife, 3 kids, pet dog in Florida
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A physical therapist from Connecticut was convicted Thursday evening of killing his wife, three young children and the family’s dog two years ago in central Florida. A 12-member jury found Anthony Todt guilty of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty. He was...
Crews work to save WWII destroyer taking on water in BuffaloVideo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A decommissioned World War II-era destroyer docked near downtown Buffalo in New York was taking on water and listing perilously on Thursday. Crews were working to keep the USS The Sullivans from sinking at its berth at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, where...
Signs of progress as Mexico officials work with Texas Gov. Abbott to ease border trade snarlsVideo
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — The governors of Mexican border states are lining up to pledge that they’ll increase security measures at commercial crossings as they seek a resumption of normal trade between Texas and Mexico. Governors and senior officials in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas said Thursday that...
New Jersey to start recreational marijuana sales April 21
TRENTON, N.J. — Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey for those 21 and older will begin April 21, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday. Murphy’s announcement on Twitter comes just three days after state regulators green lighted permits for seven facilities that already sell medical cannabis to begin retailing recreational...
Los Angeles political donor gets 30 years in prison for fetish deaths
LOS ANGELES — Even after two men were found dead in his California apartment, Ed Buck did not stop injecting gay men with walloping doses of methamphetamine. A federal judge on Thursday sentenced him to 30 years in prison in the deaths of Gemmel Moore and Timothy Dean. Another man,...
Ohio man blaming Trump’s ‘orders’ for riot actions found guiltyVideo
WASHINGTON — An Ohio man who testified he was “following presidential orders” from Donald Trump when he stormed the U.S. Capitol was convicted Thursday of obstructing Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory. A federal jury also found Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, guilty of stealing a coat rack from...
Snake bite killed Maryland man who had over 100 snakes at home
POMFRET, Md. — A man found dead in his home with more than 100 snakes, including cobras and black mambas, died of a snake bite, officials in Maryland said. A medical examiner’s office told local news outlets Wednesday the victim died of “snake envenomation” and the death was accidental. The...
A safe bet: If you want a casino job, odds are on your side
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — As a casino dealer, Shamikah Townsend knows when the odds are in her favor. And they definitely are right now. While working at one Atlantic City casino last year, she went to a job fair held by a different one, and was surprised at how instantly...
Brooklyn subway attack suspect ordered held without bail
NEW YORK — The man accused of opening fire on a crowded subway train in Brooklyn was ordered held without bail as prosecutors told a judge Thursday he terrified all of New York City. Frank James, 62, spoke only to answer “yes” to standard questions during the brief proceeding in...
Floods in South Africa’s Durban area kill more than 340
JOHANNESBURG — Heavy rains and flooding have killed at least 341 people in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, including the city of Durban, and more rainstorms are forecast in the coming days. The death toll is expected to rise as scores of people, including whole families, are missing, officials said...
Russian warship Moskva sinks after Ukrainians claim strike
KYIV, Ukraine — The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, a guided-missile cruiser that became a potent target of Ukrainian defiance in the opening days of the war, sank Thursday after it was heavily damaged in the latest setback for Moscow’s invasion. Ukrainian officials said their forces hit the vessel...
California food plant fire prompts evacuations for thousands
SALINAS, Calif. — A massive fire at a Northern California food processing plant plume prompted authorities to tell thousands of nearby residents to evacuate Thursday and to order tens of thousands more to stay inside their homes. The fire at the Taylor Farms packaged salad plant in Salinas, about 110...
Abortions stop in Kentucky as groups seek to block new law
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Abortion-rights groups went to court Thursday seeking to restore abortion services in Kentucky, where the last two abortion clinics signaled they couldn’t immediately comply with sweeping new restrictions imposed by the Republican legislature. Two lawsuits filed in federal court in Louisville asked that a judge intervene to...
Brit convicted in Islamic State beheadings trial
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A jury convicted a British national Thursday for his role in an Islamic State group hostage-taking scheme that took roughly two dozen Westerners captive a decade ago, resulting in the deaths of four Americans, three of whom were beheaded. The jury deliberated for four hours before finding...
Pope visits Italian prison for Holy Week foot-washing ritual
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis traveled to a prison near Rome to wash the feet of a dozen inmates, a Holy Thursday ritual that symbolizes humility and highlights his papacy’s attention to those on society’s margins. He arrived Thursday afternoon in a motorcade that included Italian police cars, which entered...
Abortion restriction bill signed by Fla. Gov. DeSantis
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law Thursday as the state joined a growing conservative push to restrict access ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could limit the procedure nationwide. The new law marks a significant blow to abortion access in...
AP sources: Trump aide Stephen Miller to speak to 1/6 panel
WASHINGTON — Stephen Miller, who served as a top aide to President Donald Trump, will appear Thursday before the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to two people familiar with the matter. Miller was a senior adviser for policy during the Trump administration and a central figure in...
U.S. jobless claims rise but remain near a half-century low
WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up last week but remained at a historically low level, reflecting a robust U.S. labor market with near record-high job openings and few layoffs. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to 185,000, the Labor Department said Thursday, after nearly touching the...
Police search for motive in Brooklyn subway suspect’s videos
NEW YORK — Frank James posted dozens of videos ranting about race, violence and his struggles with mental illness. One stands out for its relative calm: A silent shot of a packed New York City subway car in which he raises his finger to point out passengers, one by one....
Talk of race, sex in schools divides Americans, poll shows
WASHINGTON — Americans are deeply divided over how much children in K-12 schools should be taught about racism and sexuality, according to a new poll released as Republicans across the country aim to make parental involvement in education a central campaign theme this election year. Overall, Americans lean slightly toward...
Capitol riot defendant: I was following Trump’s instructions
An Ohio man charged with storming the U.S. Capitol and stealing a coat rack testified Wednesday that he joined thousands of protesters in ransacking the building last year on what he thought were orders from the president, Donald Trump. Dustin Byron Thompson, 38, of Columbus, Ohio, said he took to...
23 injured in Texas storms; more tornadoes forecast in SouthVideo
SALADO, Texas — Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that was expected to spawn more twisters and damaging wind Wednesday. The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in Salado, about 50 miles north of Austin. Bell County Judge David...
Video: Michigan cop on Black man’s back, fatally shot him
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Black man face-down on the ground was fatally shot in the back of the head by a Michigan police officer, the violent climax of a traffic stop, foot chase and fight over a stun gun, according to videos of the incident on April 4 that...
Presidents from countries on Russia’s doorstep visit UkraineVideo
KYIV, Ukraine — The presidents of four countries on Russia’s doorstep visited Ukraine on Wednesday and underscored their support for the embattled country, where they saw heavily damaged buildings and demanded accountability for what they called war crimes carried out by Russian forces. The visit by the presidents of Poland,...
Biden approves $800M in new military assistance for Ukraine
WASHINGTON — In anticipation of a new Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, President Joe Biden on Wednesday approved an $800 million package of military assistance, including additional helicopters and the first provision of American artillery. The Ukrainians also will receive armored personnel carriers, armored Humvees, naval drone vessels used in...
