U.S./World category, Page 715
New York AG Letitia James requests testimony from Trump in fraud probe
NEW YORK — New York state Attorney General Letitia James, who abruptly ended her campaign for governor Thursday, has requested testimony from Donald Trump in her civil investigation into possible fraud by the Trump Organization. James, a Democrat, is pursuing a deposition from the Republican former commander in chief on...
Jussie Smollett convicted of staging attack, lying to police
CHICAGO — Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday on charges he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself nearly three years ago and then lied to Chicago police about it. In the courtroom as the verdict was read, Smollett stood and faced the jury, showing no visible reaction....
Court rejects Trump’s efforts to keep records from 1/6 panel
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled Thursday against an effort by former President Donald Trump to shield documents from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. In a 68-page ruling, the three-judge panel tossed aside Trump’s various arguments for blocking through executive privilege records that...
California pushes composting to lower food waste emissions
DAVIS, Calif. — Banana peels, chicken bones and leftover veggies won’t have a place in California trashcans under the nation’s largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program that’s set to take effect in January. The effort is designed to keep landfills in the most populous U.S. state clear of food...
Travis Scott says he was unaware of deaths until after show
HOUSTON — Rapper Travis Scott said in an interview that he didn’t know that fans had died at his Astroworld festival in Houston until after his performance. In a lengthy interview with radio personality Charlamagne Tha God posted on YouTube on Thursday, Scott described from his perspective what happened at...
Russia military chief warns Ukraine against attacking rebels
MOSCOW — Russia’s top military officer on Thursday sternly warned neighboring Ukraine against trying to reclaim control over separatist areas by force, saying that Moscow will “suppress” any such attempt. The statement by Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian military’s General Staff, comes amid soaring tensions over a Russian...
2021 now the highest-winning year ever for U.S. casinos
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — America’s casinos have won more money this year than ever before, according to figures released Thursday from a national gambling trade association. The American Gaming Association said U.S. casinos have already broken the record for most money won in a single year at $44.15 billion. Those...
Michigan school district faces $100M lawsuits after shootingsVideo
Two lawsuits seeking $100 million each have been filed against a Michigan school district, its superintendent and others after four students were fatally shot and others wounded at Oxford High School, a lawyer announced Thursday. The lawsuits were filed in federal court in Detroit by Jeffrey and Brandi Franz on...
Minnesota crash after police pursuit leaves 2 dead, 3 hurt
MINNEAPOLIS — A crash in Minneapolis early Thursday that followed a police pursuit of an SUV that was reportedly stolen has left two juveniles dead and three others hospitalized, authorities said. Officers in suburban Robbinsdale spotted a Mercedes SUV about 2 a.m. that was reported stolen in Minneapolis and attempted...
U.S. jobless claims drop to 52-year low amid seasonal volatility
WASHINGTON — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in 52 years, more evidence that the U.S. job market is recovering from last year’s coronavirus recession. Unemployment claims dropped by 43,000 to 184,000 last week, the lowest since September 1969, the Labor...
Car crash deaths have surged during covid-19 pandemic. Here’s why
It was a tally that shocked the experts: 38,680 deaths on U.S. roadways last year, the most since 2007 even though pandemic precautions had dramatically reduced driving. “This was completely unprecedented,” said Ken Kolosh, a researcher at the nonprofit National Safety Council. “We didn’t know what was happening.” One possibility...
Florida professors cite fear of state politicians on campus
ORLANDO — University of Florida professors say fear of upsetting state politicians pervades the campus to the point that race-related references have been edited out of course materials and faculty members have been restricted from participating in outside activities that challenge the priorities of the governor’s administration, according to a...
Father, son arrested in wildfire that threatened Lake Tahoe
SACRAMENTO — A father and son were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting a massive California wildfire that destroyed many homes and forced tens of thousands of people to flee Lake Tahoe communities earlier this year, authorities said. David Scott Smith, 66, and his son, Travis Shane Smith, 32, are...
Mark Meadows sues as Jan. 6 panel proceeds with contempt caseVideo
WASHINGTON — Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows on Wednesday sued the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection as the chairman of the panel pledged to move forward with contempt charges now that Meadows is no longer complying with a subpoena. The dueling actions laid...
Coast Guard diver pulls body from car above Niagara FallsVideo
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — A Coast Guard diver lowed from the sky Wednesday braved frigid rapids to get to a car submerged in water near the brink of Niagara Falls, only to find it was too late to rescue the driver trapped inside. The diver was lowered from a hovering...
Scott Peterson resentenced to life term in wife’s 2002 death
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nearly 17 years after being sentenced to die, Scott Peterson was resentenced to life without parole Wednesday during an emotional hearing in which family members of his slain pregnant wife, Laci, called him out for the killing in 2002 and his apparent lack of remorse. “I still...
Biden order would make U.S. government carbon neutral by 2050
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order to make the federal government carbon-neutral by 2050, aiming for a 65% reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and an all-electric fleet of car and trucks five years later. The White House said the order shows how...
Investigators in Alabama find car, bones in 1976 cold case
LAGRANGE, Ga. — Investigators have discovered the 1974 Pinto a 22-year-old student was driving on his way back to Auburn University from Georgia when he disappeared more than 45 years ago, sheriff’s officials announced Wednesday. Kyle Wade Clinkscales’ car was pulled from a creek around Cusseta, Ala., on Tuesday after...
California plans to be abortion sanctuary if Roe overturned
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With more than two dozen states poised to ban abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court gives them the OK next year, California clinics and their allies in the state Legislature on Wednesday revealed a plan to make the state a “sanctuary” for those seeking reproductive care, including...
U.S. journalist freed in Lebanon after call by rights groups
BEIRUT — Lebanese authorities freed Wednesday a freelance American journalist who was detained in Beirut last month. The release came just hours after two international human rights groups called her detention arbitrary and demanded that she be set free. Nada Homsi, the journalist, said after her release that her arrest...
Prosecutor: ‘Overwhelming’ evidence Smollett faked attack
CHICAGO — A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that there is “overwhelming evidence” that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack against himself in downtown Chicago for publicity, then lied to police about it. Special prosecutor Dan Webb said during his closing argument that what Smollett did in...
Giant Christmas tree outside Fox News headquarters set afireVideo
NEW YORK — A man was charged with arson and other crimes Wednesday for setting fire to a 50-foot Christmas tree in front of Fox News headquarters in midtown Manhattan, police said. The artificial tree outside of the News Corp. building that houses Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and...
Judge declares mistrial after Florida juror denies verdict
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A South Florida judge declared a mistrial in a murder case on Wednesday after the jury delivered a verdict of manslaughter, only to have its decision collapse when a juror told the court she didn’t agree. The jurors were told to keep trying for a fifth...
1 wounded when man opens fire inside Texas shopping mall
KILLEEN, Texas — Police in Texas searched Wednesday for a man who opened fire inside a shopping mall, wounding one person, authorities said. Officers responded to the Killeen Mall at about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday after shots were fired, Killeen Police Chief Charles Kimble said. One person was shot multiple times...
India’s military chief, 12 others killed in helicopter crash
NEW DELHI — India’s military chief, Gen. Bipin Rawat, and 12 others were killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash in southern Tamil Nadu state, the air force said. It said in a tweet that the helicopter “met with a tragic accident.” The dead included Rawat’s wife. The air force said...
