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

World

World

Accuser describes Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey as 'slippery, snaky difficult person'

A man who described Kevin Spacey as a “slippery, snaky, difficult person” said Monday that the actor’s escalating sexual assaults caused him shame, anxiety and depression. The man, who worked with the American actor when he came to the Old Vic Theatre in London in the early 2000s, said that two decades later he cannot bring himself to view the Oscar-winner’s films or TV shows. “I can’t stand watching the man. It makes me feel sick,” the man, who cannot be identified under British law, said in a video of his police interview played for jurors in

July 03, 2023
Accuser describes Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey as 'slippery, snaky difficult person'
World

US measure would ban products containing mineral mined with child labor in Congo

A measure has been introduced in the U.S. House to ban imported products containing minerals critical to electric vehicle batteries but mined through child labor and other abusive conditions in Congo, where China has enormous mining stakes. The bill targets China, which sponsor Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey says uses forced labor and exploits children to mine cobalt in the impoverished but resource-rich central African country. Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt, a mineral used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, a key pillar of President Joe Biden’s climate plans. China

July 03, 2023
US measure would ban products containing mineral mined with child labor in Congo
World

Israelis protest at international airport against judicial overhaul plan

Thousands of Israelis blocked traffic and snarled movement at the country’s main international airport on Monday, the latest mass demonstration over Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious planned judicial overhaul that has divided the nation. The Netanyahu government’s push to pass several overlapping reforms to the country’s judiciary have plunged Israel into an unprecedented crisis and divided an already highly polarized country. Protesters waving Israel’s blue-and-white national flag and blowing horns blocked the main thoroughfare outside Ben Gurion Airport’s main terminal and demonstrated inside the arrivals hall. Police said officers arrested at least four people for public disturbance. Netanyahu and

July 03, 2023
Israelis protest at international airport against judicial overhaul plan
World

United Airlines gets a handle on canceled flights, the CEO outlines how to prevent another meltdown

Air travelers could breathe a little easier Monday, as a break in stormy weather — and lighter schedules a day before the July 4 holiday — helped airlines keep more flights moving on time. By late afternoon on the East Coast, about 125 U.S. flights had been canceled and 2,800 were late, according to FlightAware. Those numbers were down from more than 600 cancellations and 7,700 delays on Sunday. United Airlines, the worst-performing U.S. carrier for more than a week, was on pace for its best day in nearly two weeks, with fewer than 50 cancellations. United CEO Scott Kirby

July 03, 2023
United Airlines gets a handle on canceled flights, the CEO outlines how to prevent another meltdown
World

Flyers sign defenseman Marc Staal to a 1-year deal while the Leafs add Max Domi

Marc Staal is joining the Philadelphia Flyers, signing a $1.1 million contract for next season with a team embarking on a lengthy rebuilding process. General manager Daniel Briere announced the signing Monday, following the Flyers’ deals over the weekend with gritty winger Garnet Hathaway and depth center Ryan Poehling. Hathaway got $4.75 million over two years and Poehling $1.4 million for one year. Staal is coming off helping the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final. He skated nearly 21 minutes a night during that run after playing all 82 regular-season games and putting up 15 points. The 36-year-old fills

July 03, 2023
Flyers sign defenseman Marc Staal to a 1-year deal while the Leafs add Max Domi
World

Elon Musk put new limits on tweets. Users and advertisers might go elsewhere

TikTok and Instagram users can scroll with abandon. But Twitter owner Elon Musk has put new curfews on his digital town square, the latest drastic change to the social media platform that could further drive away advertisers and undermine its cultural influence as a trendsetter. Keeping up with a sports game, extreme weather conditions or a major news event is getting harder under Musk’s new rules, which cap the number of tweets you can view as part of an apparent attempt to relieve the company’s overloaded web infrastructure. “The joke on Twitter is that people are going to go outside

July 03, 2023
Elon Musk put new limits on tweets. Users and advertisers might go elsewhere
World

Dior brings ethereal goddesses, silver threads, to Paris couture

In the lush surroundings of Paris’ Musee Rodin, the landscapes of artist Marta Roberti formed the backdrop on Monday for the latest Dior couture collection by designer Maria Grazia Chiuri. The designs, inspired by power, feminism and the divine, shone against Roberti’s fantastical creations of exotic birds and ethereal trees. VIP attendees, including actors Natalie Portman and Rosamund Pike, were drawn into this imaginative realm. Here’s a look at some highlights from Monday’s fall-winter 2023 collections: DIVINE GODDESSES OF DIOR STRUT AMID BIRDS AND TREES The collection by Chiuri drew its strength from the past, a salute

July 03, 2023
Dior brings ethereal goddesses, silver threads, to Paris couture
World

Fright over crack on North Carolina ride serves as reminder of risks at amusement parks

A visible crack in the support beam of a North Carolina roller coaster served as a reminder of the risks that sometimes arise with amusement park rides, particularly as families and adrenaline junkies flock to the attractions throughout the summer. Video footage of the Charlotte-based Carowinds’ popular Fury 325 — known as a “Giga coaster” due to its dramatic height of 325 feet (99 meters) — showed a key support beam bending with the top visibly detached as cars packed with unsuspecting passengers whirled by at speeds of up to 95 mph (150 kph). The park,

July 03, 2023
Fright over crack on North Carolina ride serves as reminder of risks at amusement parks
World

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves agree on max contract extension

The Minnesota Timberwolves have made it clear: They’re going to build around Anthony Edwards. The Timberwolves and Edwards agreed on a max extension on Monday — five years, $207 million, with a chance of the deal reaching $260 million, agent Bill Duffy confirmed to The Associated Press. Edwards’ new contract will begin in the 2024-25 season. He becomes the fourth player to get the maximum rookie-scale extension so far this summer, joining Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Memphis’ Desmond Bane. His deal would reach the supermax level if he makes an All-NBA team. Edwards was an All-Star for

July 03, 2023
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves agree on max contract extension
World

US ambassador visits Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia on charges of espionage

US Ambassador Lynne Tracy on Monday was allowed to visit Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhkovich, who has been behind bars in Russia since March on charges of espionage. Tracy last visited Gerhkovich in April. The US Embassy confirmed Monday’s visit but did not immediately provide more information. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Gershkovich and his employer denied the allegations, and the U.S. government declared him to be

July 03, 2023
US ambassador visits Wall Street Journal reporter detained in Russia on charges of espionage
World

A new women's hockey league launches in January. There’s plenty of work to do before then

Jayna Hefford gets goose bumps thinking about what it will be like when the puck drops in January on a new women’s hockey league featuring the world’s best players. The stage is set for that after a new ownership group bought out the Professional Hockey Federation and members of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association unanimously ratified a collective bargaining agreement and constitution. Still, amid her excitement about a banner achievement in the sport, the Hockey Hall of Famer and PWHPA chairwoman understands there’s more to do. “From a league perspective, the work is really just beginning,” Hefford said. WHAT

July 03, 2023
A new women's hockey league launches in January. There’s plenty of work to do before then
World

A year of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians just escalated. Is this an uprising?

Airstrikes targeting Palestinian militants in a crowded residential area. Armored bulldozers plowing through narrow streets, crushing cars and piling up debris. Protesters burning tires. A mounting death toll. Israel’s large-scale military raid into the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Monday had undeniable similarities with the second Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s — a period that claimed thousands of lives. But the current fighting is also different from those intense years of violence. It’s more limited in scope, with Israeli military operations focused on several strongholds of Palestinian militants. It’s also

July 03, 2023
A year of fighting between Israel and the Palestinians just escalated. Is this an uprising?
World

Workers strike at major Southern California hotels over pay and benefits

Workers picketed major Southern California hotels again Monday after walking off the job during the July Fourth weekend to demand better pay and benefits. The strike by bellhops, front desk agents, room attendants, cooks, servers and dishwashers began early Sunday in Los Angeles and Orange counties just as summer tourism ramps up. Employers accused the union of failing to negotiate. Members of Unite Here Local 11 voted last month in favor of authorizing the strike. In addition to higher wages, the union wants improved health care benefits, higher pension contributions and less strenuous workloads. Contracts expired

July 03, 2023
Workers strike at major Southern California hotels over pay and benefits
World

Former Arizona Cardinals coach Vince Tobin has died at 79

Vince Tobin, who coached the Arizona Cardinals to their first playoff win in 51 years in 1998, has died. He was 79. The Cardinals said Tobin died Monday morning at his Arizona home. “Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Vince Tobin, and in particular his wife Kathy and their family,” Cardinals owner Michal Bidwill said in a statement. “As head coach of the Cardinals, his steady leadership was a constant and a big part of the success the team enjoyed during his tenure.” Tobin was hired in 1996 to replace Buddy

July 03, 2023
Former Arizona Cardinals coach Vince Tobin has died at 79
World

ThunderShirts, dance parties and anxiety meds can help ease dogs' July Fourth dread

On the Friday before the Fourth of July, more than a dozen dog owners waited in triple-digit temperatures in south Phoenix to get into a microchipping event inside a shelter. It didn’t hurt that Maricopa County was offering a discount. But, several were there because they knew having a microchip with their contact information implanted in their pups would increase the likelihood of their pet being returned if the worst happens on Independence Day. “Ava’s a scaredy-cat of any loud noises,” said Rori Chang, who was there with her golden retriever. “Her immediate reaction is to hide

July 03, 2023
ThunderShirts, dance parties and anxiety meds can help ease dogs' July Fourth dread
World

Emaciated and imprisoned, ex-president Saakashvili tells Georgian court he is spiritually fit

Georgia’s imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili appeared severely emaciated on Monday in videolink testimony to a court considering an abuse-of-power case against him. Saakashvili and his supporters claim he has been poisoned while imprisoned and that he now weighs about 60 kilograms (132 pounds), half of what he weighed when he was arrested in October 2021. From a private clinic where he was being held, he told the court that despite his poor health, he was “spiritually fit and determined to serve the country,” according to local news site Agenda. Saakashvili, who served as Georgia’s president

July 03, 2023
Emaciated and imprisoned, ex-president Saakashvili tells Georgian court he is spiritually fit
World

Erdogan signals Turkey isn't ready to ratify Sweden NATO membership, saying there's more work to do

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled Monday that his country is not ready to ratify Sweden’s membership in NATO, saying Stockholm had to work harder on the “homework” it needs to complete. Speaking after a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan also renewed his condemnation of a Quran-burning protest that took place in Sweden last week, describing the action as a hate crime against Muslims. “We have made it clear that the determined fight against terrorist organizations and Islamophobia are our red line,” Erdogan said. “Everyone must accept that Turkey’s friendship cannot be won by supporting terrorism or by

July 03, 2023
Erdogan signals Turkey isn't ready to ratify Sweden NATO membership, saying there's more work to do
World

NASCAR thinking big after exciting finish to Cup Series’ 1st street race in its 75th season

Moments after NASCAR’s daring adventure was over — a soggy day in downtown Chicago rescued by a compelling Cup Series race — they were all thinking big. Shane van Gisbergen pondered a move from Australia’s Supercars to a regular NASCAR ride. Justin Marks contemplated the promising future of Project 91. Steve O’Donnell talked about holding a NASCAR event on another continent. “I think we’re all confident at NASCAR that we could take the Cup Series anywhere we want,” said O’Donnell, who became the chief operating officer of NASCAR in March 2022. O’Donnell and Ben Kennedy, the 31-year-old

July 03, 2023
NASCAR thinking big after exciting finish to Cup Series’ 1st street race in its 75th season
World

Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman will participate in Home Run Derby at All-Star Game

Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles said Monday he will participate in the Home Run Derby on July 10 in Seattle as he attempts to become the first catcher to win the event. The Orioles posted a Twitter video with highlights of Rutschman’s home runs that read: “Get Your Popcorn Ready”. Rutschman joins a field that includes New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Dodgers’ star Mookie Betts, Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez. In his second season with Baltimore, the Oregon native will try to win the title in

July 03, 2023
Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman will participate in Home Run Derby at All-Star Game
World

Sofia Kenin surprises Coco Gauff in a highlight-filled, all-US match at Wimbledon

Sofia Kenin surprised Coco Gauff at a Grand Slam tournament again by beating her 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round of Wimbledon in a back-and-forth matchup Monday between two American women who both have reached No. 4 in the rankings and been to a major final. One key difference: Kenin was the 2020 Australian Open champion, beating Gauff along the way to that trophy; Gauff was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open. And while Gauff was seeded No. 7 at the All England Club, Kenin has tumbled so far down after three consecutive first-round

July 03, 2023
Sofia Kenin surprises Coco Gauff in a highlight-filled, all-US match at Wimbledon
World

France’s Macron weakened by crisis over teen killed by police

Even in normal times Emmanuel Macron needed allies’ help governing France. To get some things done he worked with the traditional right. The center-left helped the French president accomplish others. The challenge was bigger than any a French leader had faced in more than two decades: He had to convince politicians across the country’s national assembly to support even a minor domestic project. Now, governing his already-polarized country has gotten close to impossible for Macron because a suburban police officer stopped a yellow Class A Mercedes and fired one fatal shot into the 17-year-old driver’s chest, setting

July 03, 2023
France’s Macron weakened by crisis over teen killed by police
World

Senegalese President Macky Sall says he won't seek a third term in 2024 elections after protests

Senegalese President Macky Sall declared Monday evening that he will not run for a third term in next year’s elections, ending years of uncertainty over his political future that had helped fuel deadly opposition protests last month. Top opposition leader Ousmane Sonko already had called for more demonstrations around the West African country in the event Sall had instead announced his intention to run again in February. In a speech carried live on his official Facebook page, Sall maintained that Senegal’s constitution would have allowed his candidacy despite having already been elected to a second term

July 03, 2023
Senegalese President Macky Sall says he won't seek a third term in 2024 elections after protests
World

Legitimacy of 'customer' in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical, legal flags

A Christian graphic artist who the Supreme Court said can refuse to make wedding websites for gay couples pointed during her lawsuit to a request from a man named “Stewart” and his husband-to-be. The twist? Stewart says it never happened. The revelation has raised questions about how Lorie Smith’s case was allowed to proceed all the way to the nation’s highest court with such an apparent misrepresentation and whether the state of Colorado, which lost the case, has any legal recourse. It has served as another distraction at the end of a highly polarizing term for a Supreme Court marked

July 03, 2023
Legitimacy of 'customer' in Supreme Court gay rights case raises ethical, legal flags
World

Churchill Downs extends trainer Bob Baffert's ban through 2024

Churchill Downs is extending Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension through 2024. Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Monday it was continuing Baffert’s ban citing “continued concerns regarding the threat to the safety and integrity of racing he poses to CDI-owned racetracks.” Baffert was initially suspended for two years after 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a postrace drug test. In a statement, Churchill Downs said Baffert continues to peddle false narratives about Medina Spirit’s failed drug test. The company went on to say it will re-evaluate Baffert’s status after 2024. A message sent to a lawyer representing Baffert was

July 03, 2023
Churchill Downs extends trainer Bob Baffert's ban through 2024
World

A Texas man who went missing as a teen in 2015 has been found alive, his family and police say

A Texas man who went missing as a teenager in 2015 after last being seen walking his dogs in Houston has been found alive, his family and police said Monday. Police and firefighters found Rudolph “Rudy” Farias IV around 10 p.m. Thursday after getting a call of a person being down in front of a church in southeast Houston, police spokesman John Cannon said. It was not immediately known where Farias had been the last eight years, Cannon said. Police investigators had not yet spoken with Farias, 25, who remained hospitalized. “What we do know is at

July 03, 2023
A Texas man who went missing as a teen in 2015 has been found alive, his family and police say

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