Today: September 23, 2024
Today: September 23, 2024

World

World

Southern Baptists refuse to let Saddleback Church back into the denomination for women pastors

The Southern Baptist Convention has refused to welcome Saddleback Church back into its fold, rejecting an appeal by the California megachurch over its February ouster for having women pastors. Southern Baptist church representatives at their annual meeting here also rejected a similar appeal by a smaller church, Fern Creek Baptist of Louisville, Kentucky, which is led by a woman pastor. The results of the Tuesday votes were announced Wednesday morning on the concluding day of the the two-day annual meeting here of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, whose statement of faith asserts that only qualified men

June 14, 2023
Southern Baptists refuse to let Saddleback Church back into the denomination for women pastors
World

Pennsylvania using tons of recycled glass nuggets to rebuild collapsed Interstate 95

Pennsylvania will truck in 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets to help quickly rebuild a collapsed section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia and crews will work 24 hours a day until they can reopen the critical commercial artery, officials said Wednesday. By using the recycled glass to fill in the collapsed area, they’ll be able to avoid supply-chain delays for other materials, Gov. Josh Shapiro said. But Shapiro repeatedly declined to estimate how long it will take to get traffic flowing again on the busy East Coast highway. “We’re going to get this job done as quickly as possible,” Shapiro

June 14, 2023
Pennsylvania using tons of recycled glass nuggets to rebuild collapsed Interstate 95
World

Wisconsin governor vows to veto state budget if GOP cuts diversity dollars from university system

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday in a newspaper report that he won’t sign the state budget if Republican lawmakers follow through on their plan to cut funding for the state university system’s diversity officers, escalating a bitter fight over dollars for the state campuses. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he wants to cut $32 million from the UW System in the state’s 2023-25 budget, an amount he said is equal to what the system spends on diversity officers. He said during a news conference Wednesday that diversity efforts have

June 14, 2023
Wisconsin governor vows to veto state budget if GOP cuts diversity dollars from university system
World

Kosovo says 3 border police officers 'kidnapped' by Serbia; Belgrade says they crossed illegally

Serbian authorities said Wednesday they have captured three “fully armed” Kosovo police officers inside Serbia near their mutual border, while Kosovo police said they have likely been “kidnapped” on Kosovo territory as they patrolled the area. The latest incident further raises tensions between Serbia and its former province. Serbia had put its troops on the border on the highest state of alert amid a series of recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs on one side, and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers on the other. Kosovo police said in a statement Wednesday that the three police officers called

June 14, 2023
Kosovo says 3 border police officers 'kidnapped' by Serbia; Belgrade says they crossed illegally
World

Agribusiness giant Cargill not doing enough to fight deforestation, protect human rights, group says

An activist group and researchers tried to increase pressure on agribusiness giant Cargill on Wednesday to do more to fight deforestation and human rights abuse, releasing a report that accuses the company of not following through on commitments to help end such practices. The report argues that the family-owned company has been misled by its managers and now should take the lead in ensuring it carries out its promises to fight forced child labor in the cocoa industry and protect forests and other natural resources. As one of the world’s largest privately held companies and by far the largest grain

June 14, 2023
Agribusiness giant Cargill not doing enough to fight deforestation, protect human rights, group says
World

Canadian quits Chinese-founded development bank, complains 'Communist Party hacks' dominate it

A Canadian public relations manager for a Chinese-founded development bank announced his resignation Wednesday in a statement that accused it of being dominated by “Communist Party hacks” and said Canada’s interests weren’t served by being a member. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank confirmed in an email that Bob Pickard resigned as its director general of global communications and rejected his criticism as unfounded. The AIIB, seen by some as a Chinese rival to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, was founded in 2016 to finance railways and other infrastructure. It has 106 member governments including most

June 14, 2023
Canadian quits Chinese-founded development bank, complains 'Communist Party hacks' dominate it
World

In blow to Russian LGBTQ+ community, lawmakers weigh a bill banning gender transitioning procedures

Russian lawmakers gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill that would outlaw gender transitioning procedures in yet another blow to the country’s beleaguered LGBTQ+ community. Senior lawmaker Pyotr Tolstoy, who is among the bill’s sponsors, has said it is intended to “protect Russia with its cultural and family values and traditions and to stop the infiltration of the Western anti-family ideology.” Russia’s LGBTQ+ community has been under growing pressure for a decade as President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church embarked on a campaign to preserve what they deem the country’s “traditional values.” The bill

June 14, 2023
In blow to Russian LGBTQ+ community, lawmakers weigh a bill banning gender transitioning procedures
World

Detroit-area city bans LGBTQ+ Pride flags on public property

A Detroit-area community has banned LGBTQ+ flags from publicly owned poles after a tense hourslong meeting that raised questions about discrimination, religion and the city’s reputation for welcoming newcomers. In protest, a woman speaking during the public comment portion of the Hamtramck City Council meeting kissed a woman standing next to her Tuesday night. “You guys are welcome,” council member Nayeem Choudhury said. “(But) why do you have to have the flag shown on government property to be represented? You’re already represented. We already know who you are.” Some members of the all-Muslim council said the

June 14, 2023
Detroit-area city bans LGBTQ+ Pride flags on public property
World

Report: 2020 US census helped guide distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual government spending

The head count of every U.S. resident in 2020 helped guide the distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual federal spending, underscoring the importance of participating in the once-a-decade census, according to a new report released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. There were 353 federal assistance programs that used the Census Bureau data in 2021 to steer the allocation of the federal funding, up from 316 programs accounting for $1.5 trillion in 2017 when a similar study was conducted, according to the report. The federal funding is distributed to state and local governments, nonprofits, businesses and households. In 2021, it

June 14, 2023
Report: 2020 US census helped guide distribution of $2.8 trillion in annual government spending
World

Theranos founder objects to $250 monthly restitution sought by US due to limited financial resources

Federal prosecutors want Elizabeth Holmes to pay $250 each month to victims of her failed blood testing startup after she leaves prison, but her attorneys are pushing back citing “limited financial resources” available to the disgraced founder of Theranos. The U.S. filed a motion last week asking the court to correct “clerical errors” which included, prosecutors said, the lack of a timeline for restitution from the one-time billionaire once she exits prison. Holmes’ legal team objected to those changes this week. Holmes, 39, began an 11-year sentence at a minimum-security facility in Bryan, Texas, late last month

June 14, 2023
Theranos founder objects to $250 monthly restitution sought by US due to limited financial resources
World

Jewell Loyd steps into more prominent role with rebuilding Seattle Storm

Amid her lengthy jersey retirement speech last weekend, Sue Bird took a moment to talk about the future of the only franchise she played for in her WNBA career. And how that franchise — the Seattle Storm — is now in the hands of Jewell Loyd. “To see your game grow, to see you grow as a person, as a human, as a basketball player, I’m still so excited that I have a courtside seat and I get to watch it continue,” Bird said, words directed to her former teammate. “I’m so proud of you. You are

June 14, 2023
Jewell Loyd steps into more prominent role with rebuilding Seattle Storm
World

Israeli military closes investigation into killing of Palestinian toddler without charges

The Israeli military said Wednesday it closed an investigation into its shooting and killing of a Palestinian toddler in the occupied West Bank earlier this month. In a rare admission of wrongdoing, the military said the 2-year-old boy was killed unintentionally when a soldier mistook him and his father for militants on the run. The military said it would reprimand one of the officers involved in the incident, but there would be no criminal charges filed and no further discipline. Rights groups contend the Israeli military does too little to investigate and punish its soldiers for the

June 15, 2023
Israeli military closes investigation into killing of Palestinian toddler without charges
World

Los Angeles city councilman charged with embezzlement may face suspension

The president of the Los Angeles City Council said he will file a motion Wednesday to suspend a councilman charged with embezzlement, perjury and other crimes in the latest corruption scandal among leadership of the nation’s second-largest city. Council President Paul Krekorian said he was shocked by the criminal complaint against Curren Price Jr., whom he referred to as “a friend and colleague” while stressing that the presumption of innocence is a bedrock principle of the U.S. Constitution. Price, who has served on the council for a decade, faces five counts of embezzlement of government funds,

June 15, 2023
Los Angeles city councilman charged with embezzlement may face suspension
World

Bud Light dethroned as America's top selling beer after 2 decades with LGBTQ+ backlash ongoing

After more than two decades as America’s best-selling beer, Bud Light has slipped into second place. Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager, overtook Bud Light in U.S. retail dollar sales in the month ending June 3, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting. Modelo controlled 8.4% of U.S. grocery, convenience and liquor store sales; Bud Light fell to 7.3%. It’s a milestone in the months-long sales decline Bud Light has experienced since early April, when critics vowed to boycott the brand after it sent a commemorative can to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer. Bud Light has also faced backlash

June 15, 2023
Bud Light dethroned as America's top selling beer after 2 decades with LGBTQ+ backlash ongoing
World

Diggs returns to practice with Bills coach McDermott saying receiver's concerns are resolved

Stefon Diggs was back on the field practicing on Wednesday, and Bills coach Sean McDermott said whatever lingering issues from last season that raised concern and confusion over the absence of Buffalo’s top receiver a day earlier have been resolved. To begin with, McDermott said Diggs didn’t skip the team’s mandatory session on Tuesday, but was in fact excused. As for the issues that led to Diggs’ concerns in questioning his role in the offense, the coach said the team and the receiver are “in a real good spot.” McDermott made an unscheduled appearance with

June 15, 2023
Diggs returns to practice with Bills coach McDermott saying receiver's concerns are resolved
World

Clint Dempsey says the US Soccer Federation is taking too long to hire a coach

Clint Dempsey thinks the U.S. Soccer Federation hurt the men’s national team by delaying its decision on a coach leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Gregg Berhalter’s contract expired Dec. 31 and the USSF appointed Anthony Hudson as interim coach while it investigated a decades-old domestic violence allegation against Berhalter. An outside law firm said in March there was no impediment to retaining Berhalter, but British executive Matt Crocker was hired in April as sporting director and said he likely will take until the end of summer to decide on a coach. In the meantime,

June 15, 2023
Clint Dempsey says the US Soccer Federation is taking too long to hire a coach
World

Synagogue massacre survivor cried 'Mommy' as her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed by her side

A survivor of the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre said Wednesday that she saw her right arm “get blown open in two places” by a gunman and cried “Mommy” after her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed next to her in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jewish people. Andrea Wedner was expected to be the government’s last witness as prosecutors wrap up their case against Robert Bowers, who burst into the Tree of Life synagogue building with a military-style rifle and other weaponry and opened fire, shooting anyone he could find. Bowers killed 11 worshippers and injured seven others,

June 15, 2023
Synagogue massacre survivor cried 'Mommy' as her 97-year-old mother was shot and killed by her side
World

Israeli parliament vote deals setback to Netanyahu and judicial overhaul plan

Israel’s parliament on Wednesday appointed an opposition lawmaker to the powerful committee that picks the country’s judges, defying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a vote that exposed divisions within the ruling coalition and raised questions about his control over his political allies. The vote appeared to temporarily avert a crisis that had threatened to unleash renewed political turmoil over Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul plan. The opposition had threatened to withdraw from negotiations with Netanyahu over the overhaul if its candidate, Karine Elharrar, was not named to the committee. Despite Elharrar’s appointment on Wednesday, the opposition said it

June 15, 2023
Israeli parliament vote deals setback to Netanyahu and judicial overhaul plan
World

Iowa city hires outside firms to investigate partial building collapse

Two firms have been tasked with investigating the partial collapse of a six-story apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, that left three dead, many injured and dozens displaced, the city announced Wednesday. The city hired White Birch Group, LLC, and SOCOTEC Engineering to complete a cause and origin report that will be shared with the public “when deemed appropriate,” city officials said in a statement. A report could start to answer questions about the May 28 partial collapse, including why residents remained in the 116-year-old brick, steel and concrete building despite the many warnings over many

June 15, 2023
Iowa city hires outside firms to investigate partial building collapse
World

Shedding equity: Housing slowdown leads to first annual drop in US homeowner equity since 2012

For the first time in more than a decade, the average U.S. homeowner with a mortgage has less home equity than they did a year earlier. Among the roughly 63% of U.S. homes with a mortgage, average homeowner equity per borrower was $274,070 in the first quarter, down 1.9% from the same quarter last year, according to real estate data tracker CoreLogic. The last time average homeowner equity fell year-over-year was in the first quarter of 2012, when the housing market was still regaining its footing after the mortgage meltdown and ensuing foreclosure crisis that helped

June 15, 2023
Shedding equity: Housing slowdown leads to first annual drop in US homeowner equity since 2012
World

Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains

A former manager at the Harvard Medical School morgue, his wife and three other people have been indicted in the theft and sale of human body parts, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania announced Wednesday. Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected portions of cadavers that were donated to the school in the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, according to court documents. The body parts were taken without the school’s knowledge or permission, authorities said, adding that the school has cooperated with the investigation. Lodge sometimes took the body parts — which included

June 15, 2023
Harvard Medical School morgue manager, 4 others indicted in theft, sale of human remains
World

Ohio House votes to mandate defibrillators in schools, sports venues after collapse of Bills' Hamlin

Automatic external defibrillators, or AEDs, could be placed in nearly every school or sports and recreation venue in Ohio under a proposal that cleared the Republican-dominated House Wednesday with overwhelming bipartisan support. The legislation, sparked by the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin in January on the field during a football game in Cincinnati, would require that all public schools, municipally-owned sports and recreation locations such as gymnasiums and swimming pools, and some private schools have on-site AEDs. It cleared the chamber on an 84-6 vote. Current Ohio law allows school districts to

June 15, 2023
Ohio House votes to mandate defibrillators in schools, sports venues after collapse of Bills' Hamlin
World

In affirmative action and student loan cases, some see backlash to racial progress in education

As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester. As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she has been counting on President Joe Biden’s promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away. Now, both affirmative action and the student loan cancellation plan — policies that disproportionately help Black students — could soon be dismantled

June 15, 2023
In affirmative action and student loan cases, some see backlash to racial progress in education
World

A look at migration trends behind the latest shipwreck off Greece

Wednesday’s deadly shipwreck off southern Greece, involving a large boat carrying migrants that capsized after apparently rebuffing offers of help, is just the latest case of smugglers packing vessels full of desperate people willing to risk their lives to reach continental Europe. The trip from Libya or Tunisia through the Central Mediterranean and north to Europe is the deadliest migratory route in the world, according to the U.N.’s International Organization of Migration. Here’s a look at situation in the Mediterranean and some of the particulars of the latest tragedy: WHAT HAPPENED? Greek coast guard, navy and merchant

June 15, 2023
A look at migration trends behind the latest shipwreck off Greece
World

Luka Modric penalty completes thrilling 4-2 win for Croatia over Netherlands in Nations League

Veteran midfielder Luka Modric scored an extra-time penalty to seal a thrilling 4-2 victory for Croatia over the Netherlands and a place in the Nations League final. Thousands of ecstatic red-and-white clad Croatia fans chanted “Luka! Luka! Luka!” after the 37-year-old completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 116th minute on Wednesday. Modric said after the match that the fans made it feel like he was playing in Zagreb or Split in Croatia. It was Modric’s 165th appearance for his country. He said after captaining Croatia to victory over Morocco in the third-place game

June 15, 2023
Luka Modric penalty completes thrilling 4-2 win for Croatia over Netherlands in Nations League

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