Today: September 24, 2024
Today: September 24, 2024

World

World

The key players in last weekend's armed rebellion in Russia

The key players in last weekend’s armed rebellion by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin: YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN Prigozhin, 62, owed his position and his fortune to links with President Vladimir Putin. The former convict who became a St. Petersburg restaurateur was dubbed “Putin’s chef” for lucrative Kremlin catering contracts. He expanded into other areas and founded the Wagner Group — a private military contractor that was active in Syria and several African countries. The Kremlin relied on Wagner to help shore up its forces in Ukraine after the regular military suffered humiliating setbacks there. Wagner spearheaded attacks on the eastern Ukrainian

June 30, 2023
The key players in last weekend's armed rebellion in Russia
World

Indiana Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, says state constitution gives only limited protections

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled Friday that the state’s abortion ban doesn’t violate the state constitution, removing a major hurdle to enforcing the ban Republicans approved last summer. The court’s decision overturns a county judge’s ruling that the ban likely violates the state constitution’s privacy protections, which she said are stronger than those found in the U.S. Constitution. That judge’s order has allowed abortions to continue in Indiana since September, despite the ban. An opinion from three of the court’s five justices said that while Indiana’s constitution provides some protection of abortion rights, the “General Assembly otherwise

June 30, 2023
Indiana Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, says state constitution gives only limited protections
World

As Mexican town mourns slain anti-gang leader, brother warns community would take up arms again

As people mourned the slain leader of an armed civilian defense movement, his younger brother warned Friday that he and others who fought with Hipólito Mora would take up arms again if the government does not provide swift justice. Mora, a beloved lime grower-turned-vigilante leader, inspires loyalty in the rural west of Michoacan state. And much as they did when he led an uprising a decade ago, residents feel abandoned by the government to the whims of multiple criminal organizations battling over the territory. “If the governor does nothing to get us justice in the

June 30, 2023
As Mexican town mourns slain anti-gang leader, brother warns community would take up arms again
World

Haze, heat and storms are affecting summer festivities in many parts of the U.S.

The nation’s midsection is heading into the July Fourth weekend and instead of enjoying the start of summer people are facing smoky haze, high temperatures and powerful derecho winds that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of residents. Utility crews were scrambling Friday to restore electricity after a storm front moved across Illinois and Indiana on Thursday packing winds more than 70 miles (112 kilometers) an hour at times. The storm caused widespread damage to trees and buildings in the central parts of both states from the Mississippi River to the Indianapolis area. Utility companies faced

June 30, 2023
Haze, heat and storms are affecting summer festivities in many parts of the U.S.
World

Brazil court votes to bar Bolsonaro from elections until 2030

A panel of judges voted Friday to render far-right former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro ineligible to run for office again after concluding that he abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country’s electronic voting system. The decision, once all judges have voted, will forbid Bolsonaro from running until 2030, upending the 68-year-old’s political future and likely erasing any chance for him to regain power. Four of the seven judges on the nation’s highest electoral court agreed that Bolsonaro abused his authority by using government communication channels to promote his campaign and sowing doubts about

June 30, 2023
Brazil court votes to bar Bolsonaro from elections until 2030
World

Nashville Predators buy out Matt Duchene as NHL teams prepare for the start of free agency

A handful of NHL teams spent Friday clearing out salary cap space with some big-money buyouts on the eve of free agency. The Nashville Predators led the way by buying out Matt Duchene’s contract. The 32-year-old center had three years left on his deal at an annual cap hit of $8 million. Duchene is the latest veteran player to leave Nashville since former coach Barry Trotz took over as general manager, replacing longtime executive David Poile. The Predators also traded Ryan Johansen to Colorado, continuing the path of a rebuild started when Poile dealt away a handful of players before

June 30, 2023
Nashville Predators buy out Matt Duchene as NHL teams prepare for the start of free agency
World

Catcher interference on the rise as big league backstops squeeze in for pitch framing

Trying to make the most of his powerful swing, White Sox slugger Luis Robert Jr. lets the ball run deep into the strike zone sometimes. That’s when it happens. “When I do that, the catchers, they might think that I am not swinging (for) the ball and they try to reach the ball while I am swinging,” Robert said through a translator. “I think that’s the reason why in my case.” The end result is often interference, putting Robert on first base and handing an error to the catcher. It has happened to Robert five times already

June 30, 2023
Catcher interference on the rise as big league backstops squeeze in for pitch framing
World

What to stream this week: Taylor Swift, a new animated 'Superman,' 'Biosphere' and 'Wham!'

Taylor Swift’s rerecording of her “Speak Now” and survivalist Bear Grylls taking Bradley Cooper and Rita Ora into the wild are among the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Among the offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are the sci-fi comedy ”Biosphere” starring Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass, and a new spin-off series starring Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan from “The Real Housewives of New York City.” NEW MOVIES TO STREAM — Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass are the last two men on Earth in

June 30, 2023
What to stream this week: Taylor Swift, a new animated 'Superman,' 'Biosphere' and 'Wham!'
World

Judge allows nearly all of North Carolina's revised 12-week abortion law to take effect

A federal judge ruled on Friday that nearly all of North Carolina’s revised 12-week abortion law scheduled to begin this weekend can take effect, while temporarily blocking one rule that doctors feared could expose them to criminal penalties. The decision by U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles sets aside that rule but allows the law’s remaining provisions to begin on Saturday while litigation continues. Abortion providers had last week requested a blanket order halting all of the July 1 restrictions pending their court challenge. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a physician said several sections in the newly

June 30, 2023
Judge allows nearly all of North Carolina's revised 12-week abortion law to take effect
World

Virginia high school admissions case could be legal follow-up to affirmative action ruling

A federal appeals court’s ruling last month about the admissions policy at an elite public high school in Virginia may provide a vehicle for the U.S. Supreme Court to flesh out the intended scope of its ruling Thursday banning affirmative action in college admissions. The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, outside the nation’s capital, routinely ranks as one of the best public schools in America; admission is highly competitive. A coalition of parents, backed by a conservative legal foundation, filed a lawsuit in 2021 challenging the admissions policy at TJ, and the

June 30, 2023
Virginia high school admissions case could be legal follow-up to affirmative action ruling
World

Apple is close to becoming the first public company valued at $3 trillion

Apple is near to becoming the first publicly traded company to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, marking another milestone for a technology juggernaut that has reshaped society with a line-up of products that churn out eye-popping profits. As of 2 p.m. ET Friday, Apple shares were up almost 2%, bringing its intraday market value to $3.04 trillion. Apple is one of a handful of technology companies, including Microsoft and chipmaker Nvidia, that have helped drive the S&P 500 to a gain of more than 15% in the first half of the

June 30, 2023
Apple is close to becoming the first public company valued at $3 trillion
World

Supreme Court won't hear challenge to Jim Crow-era Mississippi bans blocking some felons from voting

The U.S. Supreme Court said Friday that it will not stop Mississippi from removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies — a practice that originated in the Jim Crow era with the intent of stopping Black men from influencing elections. The court declined to reconsider a 2022 decision by the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that said Mississippi had remedied the discriminatory intent of the original provisions in the state constitution by altering the list of disenfranchising crimes. In a dissent Friday, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the authors of the

June 30, 2023
Supreme Court won't hear challenge to Jim Crow-era Mississippi bans blocking some felons from voting
World

Saudi Arabia is being considered by the women's tennis tour for possible business

Like other sports, women’s tennis is looking into the possibility of getting into business with Saudi Arabia. And while holding a tournament there is not imminent, WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said Friday that he visited that country with some players in February as part of the evaluation process. “It’s a very difficult and very challenging topic that’s being, obviously, measured by many, many different groups right now,” Simon said at an event in London to mark the 50th anniversary of the meeting that led to the founding of the WTA. He acknowledged there “are still

June 30, 2023
Saudi Arabia is being considered by the women's tennis tour for possible business
World

Tax break for offshore wind developer Orsted gets blowback in New Jersey Legislature

The future of a bill that would let Danish offshore wind developer Orsted keep tax credits that it otherwise would have to return to New Jersey ratepayers was uncertain Friday afternoon after it failed to gather enough support in the state Senate. The measure to allow Orsted to keep federal tax credits to help counter what lawmakers termed lingering economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic and elevated inflation was passed by the state Assembly earlier Friday, but did not received enough votes in the Senate. It received 20 “yes” votes — one short of the amount

June 30, 2023
Tax break for offshore wind developer Orsted gets blowback in New Jersey Legislature
World

Van Gundy, Kolber, Rose and Young are among roughly 20 ESPN personalities laid off

Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network. ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs. Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one

June 30, 2023
Van Gundy, Kolber, Rose and Young are among roughly 20 ESPN personalities laid off
World

At least 51 people killed in road accident in western Kenya, 32 injured, police and Red Cross say

A truck rammed into several other vehicles and market traders in western Kenya killing at least 51 people, police said. The Friday evening accident occurred at a location known for vehicle crashes near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi. Officers at the scene counted 51 bodies, but more people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage, Rift Valley police commander Tom Odera told The Associated Press. The Kenya Red Cross Society said on Saturday 32 people were injured and hospitalized, and asked Kenyans

June 30, 2023
At least 51 people killed in road accident in western Kenya, 32 injured, police and Red Cross say
World

North Carolina megachurch exits Southern Baptist Convention after expulsions over women pastors

Less than a month after finalizing the ouster of one of its largest churches for having women pastors, the Southern Baptist Convention has lost another of its biggest congregations. Elevation Church — a North Carolina-based megachurch that draws thousands of worshippers to its multiple campuses and has wielded a strong influence on contemporary Christian worship music — sent notice to the SBC on June 26 that it was withdrawing its affiliation. Elevation’s letter didn’t state a reason. Elevation Pastor Steven Furtick’s wife, Holly Furtick, preaches at Elevation to men and women, and has links to her sermons on her website.

June 30, 2023
North Carolina megachurch exits Southern Baptist Convention after expulsions over women pastors
World

Fox News settles with former Tucker Carlson producer who testified in Dominion case for $12 million

Fox News will pay one of its former producers $12 million to settle her claims that she faced a discriminatory workplace and that the network tried to coerce her into giving false testimony in Dominion Inc.’s defamation lawsuit against the network, her lawyer said Friday. The payout to Abby Grossberg will settle all litigation that she brought against Fox Corp., Fox News Network and her former co-workers, including former Fox host Tucker Carlson. The settlement was revealed with the filing of a “Notice of Voluntary Dismissal” in a lawsuit she had filed this year in Manhattan

June 30, 2023
Fox News settles with former Tucker Carlson producer who testified in Dominion case for $12 million
World

Recovering Titan with the Odysseus underwater robot was complex, dangerous, emotional

When Edward Cassano and his colleagues arrived in the remote stretch of ocean where the Titan submersible had gone missing, they quickly learned that they would have to do what other deep-sea experts had already tried unsuccessfully: to find the lost sub in some of the most forbidding depths of the North Atlantic. They set to work deploying their own remotely operated vehicle, the Odysseus, from a ship with a giant “umbilical cord,” then lowered the behemoth to the ocean floor, a process that took about an hour and a half, Cassano said Friday at a

June 30, 2023
Recovering Titan with the Odysseus underwater robot was complex, dangerous, emotional
World

First smoky air, now clouds of bugs. Winged aphids invade New York City

By the time Martin DuPain got back home from a short walk Thursday afternoon, he was covered with a smattering of tiny flying critters. They were in his hair, on his shirt and in his nose. When he sneezed, the bugs came flying out. As if the smoke and haze sweeping in from wildfires in Canada weren’t enough, New York City has been invaded in recent days with plumes of flying insects that have become both a nuisance and a source of fascination — what were they, where’d they come from and will they ever go

June 30, 2023
First smoky air, now clouds of bugs. Winged aphids invade New York City
World

Why social media is being blamed for fueling riots in France

Social media companies are once again under scrutiny, this time in France as the country’s president blames TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms for helping fuel widespread riots over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron accused social media of playing a “considerable role” in encouraging copycat acts of violence as the country tries to tamp down protests that surfaced long-simmering tensions between police and young people in the country. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said police made 917 arrests on Thursday alone. More than 300 police officers have also been injured attempting to

June 30, 2023
Why social media is being blamed for fueling riots in France
World

Downtown Chicago course presents significant challenge for NASCAR Cup Series

There are seven 90-degree turns. There are manhole covers, and transitions from concrete to asphalt and back. The margin for error is small, and any rain will make the course exponentially more difficult. Welcome to the first street race in NASCAR Cup Series history. NASCAR brings its 75th season to downtown Chicago this weekend for an experience unlike any other on the circuit. With Lake Michigan and Grant Park serving as the backdrop, the 12-turn, 2.2-mile course begins right in front of Buckingham Fountain and races by several downtown landmarks. No one is exactly sure what to

June 30, 2023
Downtown Chicago course presents significant challenge for NASCAR Cup Series
World

New Jersey governor considers 5-year extension of internet gambling

A bill to extend internet gambling in New Jersey for another five years is in the hands of Gov. Phil Murphy, following its approval Friday by the state Legislature. The measure was approved by the state Assembly and Senate with minimal opposition from lawmakers, and now goes to the Democratic governor for action. But the approval did little to dispel the mystery surrounding unexpected and unannounced changes made to the bill earlier this week that have rankled the Atlantic City casino industry. Internet gambling began in New Jersey 10 years ago. The original renewal bill would

June 30, 2023
New Jersey governor considers 5-year extension of internet gambling
World

Suspected gunman in Texas shooting that killed 5 neighbors indicted on capital murder charge

A man accused of killing five neighbors in Texas after some of them complained that gunfire was keeping a baby awake was indicted Friday on a capital murder charge that could carry the death penalty. Prosecutors said they do not yet know whether they will seek the death penalty against Francisco Oropeza, 38, who is a Mexican national and had been deported multiple times in the years prior to the April attack outside Houston. “I think it’s a little too early for us to make that call,” San Jacinto County District Attorney Todd Dillon said. Oropeza

June 30, 2023
Suspected gunman in Texas shooting that killed 5 neighbors indicted on capital murder charge
World

Wider than websites? LGBTQ+ advocates fear broader discrimination after Supreme Court ruling

A new U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing a Colorado Christian graphic artist to refuse to work with same-sex couples has LGBTQIA+ people across the country worried about just how far the consequences will reach. The high court’s conservative majority sided with Lorie Smith, a designer of wedding websites for heterosexual couples who argued that a ruling against her would force writers, painters, musicians and other artists to do work that is against their beliefs. Opponents warned that a win for Smith would allow a range of businesses to discriminate, refusing to serve Black, Jewish or Muslim customers, interracial or interfaith

June 30, 2023
Wider than websites? LGBTQ+ advocates fear broader discrimination after Supreme Court ruling

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