Today: September 25, 2024
Today: September 25, 2024

World

World

Deaths of four Oregon women over three months are linked, authorities say, reversing earlier call

The bodies of four women began appearing in wooded areas in northwest Oregon in February, though police initially said the cases appeared to be unconnected. But on Monday, prosecutors dropped a bombshell, saying they are linked and “at least one person of interest” has been identified. The state medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death for any of the women, prosecutors said in a statement. Officials did not use the words “serial killer” in announcing the connection between the deaths. But, in an about-face from a June 4 Portland Police Bureau statement

July 17, 2023
Deaths of four Oregon women over three months are linked, authorities say, reversing earlier call
World

Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker

A prosecutor added felony charges, including attempted sexual assault, Monday against a man accused of attacking Connecticut’s first Muslim state representative after a prayer service, but did not file hate crime allegations demanded by the lawmaker’s supporters. The case of Andrey Desmond, 30, went before a judge in Hartford Superior Court, where supporters of state Rep. Maryam Khan, including local imams, also gathered. “It continues to be a mystery to me why the state isn’t bringing bias crimes in this type of incident,” said Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic

July 17, 2023
Officials file more charges, but not hate crimes, against man accused of attacking Muslim lawmaker
World

Jurors weighing fate of Pittsburgh synagogue killer hear of the devastation he left behind

The gunman who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue targeted them because of their faith and has never once expressed remorse, a federal prosecutor said Monday in asking jurors to impose a death sentence. The defense argued that life in prison is sufficient punishment for the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack. Opening statements Monday in the sentencing phase of Robert Bowers’ federal trial painted dueling portraits of the man who opened fire during religious services in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community: That of an unrepentant killer motivated by his hated of Jews, and of a psychologically

July 17, 2023
Jurors weighing fate of Pittsburgh synagogue killer hear of the devastation he left behind
World

How Benjamin Franklin laid groundwork for the US dollar by foiling early counterfeiters

Benjamin Franklin was so busy as an inventor, publisher, scientist, diplomat and U.S. founding father that it’s easy to lose track of his accomplishments. So add one more to the roster: his early work in printing colonial paper currency designed to counter a constant threat of counterfeiting. Franklin was an early innovator of printing techniques that used colored threads, watermarks and imprints of natural objects such as leaves to make it far harder for others to create knockoffs of his paper bills. A team at the University of Notre Dame has shed new light on his

July 17, 2023
How Benjamin Franklin laid groundwork for the US dollar by foiling early counterfeiters
World

Alabama Republicans reject call for 2nd majority Black district, despite Supreme Court ruling

Alabama Republicans, under orders of the U.S. Supreme Court to redraw congressional districts to give minority voters a greater voice in elections, rejected calls Monday to craft a second majority-Black district and proposed a map that could test what is required by the judges’ directive. Lawmakers must adopt a new map by Friday after the high court in June affirmed a three-judge panel’s ruling that Alabama’s existing congressional map — with a single Black district out of seven statewide — likely violated the Voting Rights Act. In a state where more than one in four residents

July 17, 2023
Alabama Republicans reject call for 2nd majority Black district, despite Supreme Court ruling
World

Matthew Jordan recounts Tiger memories ahead of hitting opening tee shot at British Open

Matthew Jordan has been given the honor of hitting the first tee shot at the 151st British Open. He’ll know exactly where to put it. The 27-year-old Jordan lives in Hoylake and is a member at Royal Liverpool. No surprise, then, that he has been approached by a number of players about the optimal way to get around the course. He hasn’t been giving much away. “I might pick and choose what I tell people,” Jordan said Monday. For the two British Opens staged at Hoylake since the turn of the century — won by Tiger

July 17, 2023
Matthew Jordan recounts Tiger memories ahead of hitting opening tee shot at British Open
World

Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races

Martin Truex Jr. mastered another Monday matinee to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the first time in 30 career Cup tries at the same track where as a kid he watched from the grandstands while his father raced. Thanks to rain postponements, Truex won his second Monday race of the season — he also won at Dover — and fourth of his career. Truex dominated in the No. 19 Toyota en route to his third win of the season. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver secured one of the few wins he desperately wanted in

July 17, 2023
Martin Truex Jr. wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for 1st time in 30 races
World

No winner in Monday's Powerball drawing. Jackpot reaches $1 billion

The Powerball jackpot rose yet again to an estimated $1 billion after no winning ticket was sold for the latest drawing. No ticket for Monday’s drawing matched the white balls 5, 8, 9, 17, 41 and red Powerball 2. The jackpot was estimated at $900 million. The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the third highest in U.S. history and will keep growing until someone wins. Ticket buyers have a chance at $1 billion paid out in yearly increments or a $516.8 million one-time lump sum before taxes. Three people won $2 million after

July 17, 2023
No winner in Monday's Powerball drawing. Jackpot reaches $1 billion
World

Atlanta petition drive to stop 'Cop City' is 'futile,' city's attorneys argue

An ongoing petition drive to halt the construction of a police and firefighter training center is “futile” and “invalid,” attorneys for the city of Atlanta argued in a court filing Monday, as they sought to prevent the proposed referendum from appearing on November’s ballot. For the past month, activists with the “Stop Cop City” movement have been trying to gather the signatures of more than 70,000 registered Atlanta voters by Aug. 15 to force a referendum. It would allow voters to decide the fate of the project that has seen significant pushback and become a flashpoint in

July 17, 2023
Atlanta petition drive to stop 'Cop City' is 'futile,' city's attorneys argue
World

Plane hits hangar where people were sheltering in storm in Poland. Pilot and 4 others die and 8 hurt

Five people were killed and eight others were injured Monday when a Cessna 208 plane crashed into a hangar at a sky diving center during bad weather, authorities said. The plane’s pilot and four people sheltering in the hangar from stormy weather died in the afternoon crash in Chrcynno in central Poland, firefighters spokesperson Monika Nowakowska-Brynda said. An additional eight people were injured, two of them seriously, police said. A child was among the injured, the provincial governor, Sylwester Dabrowski, said. Chrcynno is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Warsaw. Firefighters and airborne ambulances took

July 17, 2023
Plane hits hangar where people were sheltering in storm in Poland. Pilot and 4 others die and 8 hurt
World

Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews by testing conductors in trucks

Union Pacific will renew its push for one-person train crews later this summer when the railroad tests out the idea of having a conductor in a truck respond to problems on trains in Nebraska and Colorado. The railroad will continue using two crew members on its trains during the test, but officials say this could bolster their case in future negotiations for cutting crew size if it is successful. UP’s Jason Pinder confirmed the pilot program Monday when he testified against a proposed Kansas rule that would require two-person crews. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad has long

July 17, 2023
Union Pacific railroad to renew push for 1-person crews by testing conductors in trucks
World

9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine

The latest bid by conservationists and tribal leaders to block construction of a huge lithium mine already in the works along the Nevada-Oregon line was denied by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday. A three-panel judge of the San Francisco-based appellate court rejected a half-dozen arguments the opponents had put forth in their appeal seeking to overturn federal land managers’ approval of the project. That included claims it violates multiple environmental laws and would destroy lands tribal members consider sacred because they say dozens of their ancestors were massacred there in 1865. Lithium

July 17, 2023
9th Circuit denies bid by environmentalists and tribes to block Nevada lithium mine
World

Aces look to maintain historic pace in 2nd half, repeat as WNBA champions

The Las Vegas Aces are on a historic pace heading into the second half of the season and have shown no signs of letting up. With 19 wins in their first 21 games, the Aces sit atop the WNBA standings and have the top offense and defense in the league. “Just staying focused on what we’ve been doing up to this point,” point guard Chelsea Gray said. “Trust in each other, playing for each other and with each other and just having fun doing it. We never take anybody for granted.” Gray, one of four Las Vegas players in the

July 17, 2023
Aces look to maintain historic pace in 2nd half, repeat as WNBA champions
World

Civil rights groups sue Florida officials over new immigration law

Several civil rights groups filed a federal lawsuit on Monday challenging Florida’s new immigration law. The Southern Poverty Law Center, American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Florida, Americans for Immigrant Justice and the American Immigration Council filed the lawsuit in Miami federal court against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Statewide Prosecutor Nicholas B. Cox on behalf of the Farmworker Association of Florida and others, according to court records. The legislation that DeSantis, a Republican, signed into law in May bolsters his migrant relocation program and limits social services for immigrants lacking permanent legal

July 18, 2023
Civil rights groups sue Florida officials over new immigration law
World

Australian man and his dog rescued by Mexican tuna boat after drifting 3 months in the Pacific Ocean

An Australian sailor who had been adrift at sea with his dog for three months has been rescued by a Mexican tuna boat in international waters, the fishing vessel’s owner said Monday. Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his incapacitated catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific about 1200 miles (1900 kilometers) from land when the crew of the boat from the Grupomar fleet spotted them, the company said in a statement. The company said Shaddock and his dog Bella were in a “precarious” state when found, lacking provisions and shelter. The tuna boat’s crew gave them

July 18, 2023
Australian man and his dog rescued by Mexican tuna boat after drifting 3 months in the Pacific Ocean
World

Bilateral South Korea-US consulting group meets in response to North Korean nuclear threats

A bilateral consulting group of South Korean and U.S. officials met Tuesday in Seoul to discuss strengthening their nations’ deterrence capabilities against North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats. The Nuclear Consultative Group was established as part of agreements Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol made when they met in April. Seoul officials say the body is tasked with sharing information on nuclear and strategic weapons operation plans and discussing joint operations. The U.S. would retain operational control of U.S. nuclear weapons, and Washington officials say the group’s establishment and other steps announced in April were

July 18, 2023
Bilateral South Korea-US consulting group meets in response to North Korean nuclear threats
World

Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials amid US push to stabilize rocky relations

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China’s top diplomat on Tuesday that President Joe Biden’s administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies. On his second day of talks in Beijing, Kerry met with the ruling Communist Party’s head of foreign relations Wang Yi, telling him Biden hoped the two countries could “achieve efforts together that can make a significant difference to the world.” Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights and China’s threats against self-governing Taiwan. In his opening remarks,

July 18, 2023
Climate envoy John Kerry meets with Chinese officials amid US push to stabilize rocky relations
World

Ohtani ties score with 35th homer, Angels beat Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings

Even with constant questions about his future, Shohei Ohtani continues to produce at an amazing clip for the Los Angeles Angels. The two-way star tied the score in the seventh inning with his major league-leading 35th home run. That set the stage for pinch-hitter Michael Stefanic’s game-ending single in the 10th that gave the Angels a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Monday night. Los Angeles trailed 3-1 when Ohtani hit a two-run drive off Michael King, then made a demonstrative flip of his bat. Ohtani has homered in three straight games for the

July 18, 2023
Ohtani ties score with 35th homer, Angels beat Yankees 4-3 in 10 innings
World

Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected

Shares were mostly lower Tuesday in Asia as optimism over a Wall Street rally was countered by worries about the Chinese economy. Shares rose in Tokyo but fell in most other regional markets. Hong Kong’s benchmark lost nearly 2% as it reopened after a weather related closure on Monday. On Monday, China reported weaker economic growth for the spring than most economists had expected. Its recovery following the removal of anti-COVID restrictions has fallen short of forecasts. That has helped to limit inflation globally but it also is hindering a main engine of growth for the world

July 18, 2023
Stock market today: Asian shares extend losses after China reports lower growth than expected
World

As UK housing costs soar, anxiety grips homeowners and renters: 'I'm in meltdown'

For Sadie James, the cost-of-living crisis in Britain just never seems to ease. First, it was skyrocketing energy and food costs stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, the 61-year-old worries whether she can keep a roof over her head. James, who lives in south London, has struggled for years to stay on top of her finances. Just as she was starting to clear her debts, she’s back to square one: Her rent keeps rising, and on top of higher food and energy bills, her welfare payments just can’t keep up. “I’m actually in a meltdown each

July 18, 2023
As UK housing costs soar, anxiety grips homeowners and renters: 'I'm in meltdown'
World

Bill that would allow French police to locate suspects by tapping their devices is up for a vote

French lawmakers plan to vote Tuesday on a sweeping justice reform bill that includes a provision for allowing law enforcement agents to remotely tap into the cameras, microphones and location services of phones and other internet-connected devices used by some criminal suspects. The proposed law plainly stipulates that the procedure can be executed “without the knowledge or consent of its owner or possessor” but is limited to suspects involved in terrorism, organized crime and other illegal activities punishable by five or more years in prison. The language authorizing eavesdropping is contained in a broader reform bill aimed

July 18, 2023
Bill that would allow French police to locate suspects by tapping their devices is up for a vote
World

Spain's early election could put the far right in power for the first time since Franco

Spain’s general election on Sunday could make the country the latest European Union member swing to the populist right, a shift that would represent a major upheaval after five years under a left-wing government. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the early election after his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party and its small far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (“United We Can”), took a beating in local and regional elections. The center-right Popular Party emerged from the May 28 elections with the most votes. Polls for the general election have consistently put the PP in first place — but likely

July 18, 2023
Spain's early election could put the far right in power for the first time since Franco
World

Dingoes attack a woman jogging on Australian island beach and leave her hospitalised

A pack of dingoes drove a woman who was jogging into the surf and attacked her in the latest clash between native dogs and humans on a popular Australian island, sparking new warnings Tuesday to visitors venturing out. The 24-year-old woman was attacked by three or four dingoes on Monday while she was jogging on a beach at Queensland state’s K’gari, the world’s largest sand island formerly known as Fraser Island, officials said. The World Heritage-listed national park is home to some of Australia’s purest dingoes, which are also known by their Indigenous name wongari, because

July 18, 2023
Dingoes attack a woman jogging on Australian island beach and leave her hospitalised
World

Israeli protesters block highways in 'day of disruption' against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan

Israeli protesters blocked highways and gathered outside Tel Aviv’s stock exchange and military headquarters on Tuesday in the latest countrywide demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul. The latest “day of disruption” came as longtime allies of the prime minister pushed a contentious piece of legislation through a parliamentary committee ahead of a vote expected next week. Additional protests are planned throughout the day. Demonstrators, many of them military reservists, created human chains and blocked one of the entrances to the Kirya, Israel’s military headquarters in central Tel Aviv. Outside the Tel Aviv stock exchange,

July 18, 2023
Israeli protesters block highways in 'day of disruption' against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan
World

Mystery object that washed up on the Australian coast could be space junk, officials say

Authorities were investigating on Tuesday whether a cylindrical object about the size of a small car that washed up on a remote Australian beach is space junk from a foreign rocket. Police had cordoned off the object after it was discovered at Green Head about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the city of Perth late Sunday. The Australian Space Agency said it was liaising with other space agencies to identify the object, which appears to be partly made of a woven material. “The object could be from a foreign space launch vehicle and we are

July 18, 2023
Mystery object that washed up on the Australian coast could be space junk, officials say

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