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

World

World

Illinois is first state to eliminate cash bail, a penalty affecting low-income communities most

Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail as a condition of pretrial release from jail on Tuesday when the state Supreme Court upheld the constitutionally of the law abolishing it. The 5-2 ruling overturns a Kankakee County judge’s opinion in December that the law violated the constitution’s provision that “all persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties.” Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis, writing for the majority, decreed that the law honors the constitution’s balance between the rights of victims and defendants. Proponents of eliminating cash bail describe it as a penalty

July 18, 2023
Illinois is first state to eliminate cash bail, a penalty affecting low-income communities most
World

Rory McIlroy is laying low ahead of the British Open as he tries to end his major drought

The most telling comment from Rory McIlroy about this British Open, and his hopes of ending an astonishing nine-year drought in the majors, is that he said nothing at all. For the second straight major, McIlroy removed himself from the lineup of pre-tournament news conferences, instead offering a few vague quotes through the R&A and random interviews. The attention on him is greater than ever, on and off the golf course. He has been the strongest voice for the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV Golf, now shockingly a proposed partnership. Inside the ropes, he

July 18, 2023
Rory McIlroy is laying low ahead of the British Open as he tries to end his major drought
World

A look at some Americans who crossed into North Korea over the past years

The U.S.-led United Nations Command is trying to secure the release of an unidentified American soldier who entered North Korea from the South Korean side of a border village. It’s not immediately clear what motivated the soldier to cross into North Korea during a time of high tensions as the pace of both the North’s weapons demonstrations and U.S.-South Korean joint military training have intensified in a cycle of tit-for-tat. There have been cases of Americans crossing into North Korea over the past years, including a small number of U.S. soldiers. Some of the Americans

July 18, 2023
A look at some Americans who crossed into North Korea over the past years
World

Rescued Australian man and dog who were adrift 3 months in Pacific set to arrive in Mexican port

An Australian sailor who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat after being adrift at sea with his dog for three months will step foot on dry land Tuesday for the first time since their ordeal began. Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, was aboard his crippled catamaran Aloha Toa in the Pacific Ocean about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from land when the crew of the fishing boat from the Grupomar fleet spotted them, the company said in a statement. Shaddock and his dog, Bella, were in a “precarious” state when found, lacking provisions and shelter, and the

July 18, 2023
Rescued Australian man and dog who were adrift 3 months in Pacific set to arrive in Mexican port
World

Panama Ex-President Martinelli is sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was sentenced Tuesday to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering. Martinelli, 71, had been trying to mount a political comeback in next year’s general elections, but a judge sentenced him to 128 months in prison in a case that revolved around the purchase of a media company. Martinelli’s lawyers said they would appeal, arguing again that the media company was purchased with the president’s own legally obtained funds. Martinelli is the first former president convicted of a crime in Panama. The supermarket magnate who governed Panama from 2009

July 18, 2023
Panama Ex-President Martinelli is sentenced to 10 years in prison for money laundering
World

G20 finance chiefs end their meeting in India without consensus on the war in Ukraine

A meeting of finance chiefs and central bank governors of the Group of 20 leading economies ended on Tuesday in India without a consensus because of differences between countries over the war in Ukraine. Following two days of talks, there was no final communique. Instead, India, as the host nation, was forced to issue the G20 Chair’s summary and an outcome document. Speaking to reporters after the meeting concluded in Gandhinagar, a city in the western state of Gujarat, India’s finance minister said the reason for the chair statement was “because we still don’t have a

July 18, 2023
G20 finance chiefs end their meeting in India without consensus on the war in Ukraine
World

Spain fines Apple and Amazon $218 million for elbowing out small retailers

Amazon and Apple were fined a total of 194 million euros ($218 million) Tuesday for colluding to box out competitors by favoring sales of Apple products directly from the online retail giant, Spain’s antitrust watchdog said. Amazon and Apple reached agreements in 2018 that limited the free competition of third-party sellers who hawk Apple goods through Amazon’s platform for smaller retailers, according to Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission, which oversees Spanish markets for antitrust violations. “The investigated behaviors could be restricting competition in the sectors of the Internet sale of electronic products, and the provision of

July 18, 2023
Spain fines Apple and Amazon $218 million for elbowing out small retailers
World

As the planet warms, increasing worry about the impact that may have on infectious diseases

People around the world are living longer, healthier lives than they were just half a century ago. Climate change threatens to undo that progress. Across the planet, animals — and the diseases they carry — are shifting to accommodate a globe on the fritz. And they’re not alone: Ticks, mosquitos, bacteria, algae, even fungi are on the move, shifting or expanding their historical ranges to adapt to climatic conditions that are evolving at an unprecedented pace. These changes are not happening in a vacuum. Deforestation, mining, agriculture, and urban sprawl are taking bites out of the

July 18, 2023
As the planet warms, increasing worry about the impact that may have on infectious diseases
World

A closer look at Panmunjom, the famous border town where a US soldier crossed into North Korea

Low-slung buildings, blue huts and somber soldiers dot the border village of Panmunjom inside the DMZ, or demilitarized zone, the swath of land between North and South Korea where a U.S. soldier on a tour crossed into the North under circumstances that remain unclear. The soldier was on a tour of the storied border town, inside the heavily fortified 154-mile-long (248-kilometer-long) DMZ, when the crossing happened, U.S. officials said Tuesday. It remained unknown what prompted the soldier’s actions or what the motivations might have been. The soldier was believed to be in North Korean custody. The DMZ is lined with

July 18, 2023
A closer look at Panmunjom, the famous border town where a US soldier crossed into North Korea
World

Marcus Rashford commits to 5 more years at Man United after most prolific season of career

After the most prolific season of his career, Marcus Rashford committed himself to five more years at Manchester United on Tuesday. The England forward ended speculation about his future by signing a new long-term deal that will keep him at Old Trafford through to 2028. Rashford scored 30 goals in all competitions last season, with his form helping fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in November as he established himself as a key part of a United team which qualified for the Champions League and won the English League Cup. “I joined Manchester United

July 18, 2023
Marcus Rashford commits to 5 more years at Man United after most prolific season of career
World

Gas leaked from bad fitting at Pennsylvania chocolate factory where 7 died in blast, report says

Natural gas leaked from a defective fitting at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory where a powerful explosion leveled one building, heavily damaged another and killed seven people, federal safety investigators said Tuesday, while noting they have yet to determine the cause of the blast. The leak at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading was traced to a gas fitting that was installed in 1982 and was determined to have fractured, according to an investigative update released by the National Transportation Safety Board. The fitting, made by DuPont, had a known tendency to crack, and was added to a federal

July 18, 2023
Gas leaked from bad fitting at Pennsylvania chocolate factory where 7 died in blast, report says
World

Martin Truex Jr. 'bad at making big decisions' as he ponders NASCAR retirement

With three wins, a lead in the points standings, and a NASCAR championship push ahead, the good times are rolling again for Martin Truex Jr. So why quit now? Joe Gibbs asked himself the same question about Truex as the Hall of Fame owner tries to keep Monday’s winner at New Hampshire in the fold of his eponymous race team for one more season. The 82-year-old Gibbs playfully nudged Truex to make the call soon: Retire or give it another run at JGR. “He tells me the same thing every year, that I’m right in the

July 18, 2023
Martin Truex Jr. 'bad at making big decisions' as he ponders NASCAR retirement
World

TikTok needs to do more to comply with Europe's new digital rules, official says

TikTok needs to do more to get ready for new European Union digital rules designed to keep users safe online, a top official said Tuesday. The results of a “stress test” that the popular video-sharing platform carried out at its Dublin office showed that “more work is needed to be fully ready” for when the Digital Services Act takes effect next month, European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement. Breton, who oversees the 27-nation bloc’s digital policy, tweeted a silent video of himself discussing the results by video call with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew. “TikTok

July 18, 2023
TikTok needs to do more to comply with Europe's new digital rules, official says
World

Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival LLaMA

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms has built an artificial intelligence system that rivals the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard but it’s taking a different approach: releasing it for free. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the company is partnering with Microsoft to introduce the next generation of its AI large language model and making the technology, known as LLaMA 2, free for research and commercial use. Much like tech peers Google and Microsoft, the social media company has long had a big research team of computer scientists devoted to advancing AI technology. But

July 18, 2023
Facebook parent Meta makes public its ChatGPT rival LLaMA
World

Hornets' Miles Bridges apologizes for 'pain and embarrassment' from domestic violence investigation

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges apologized Tuesday for “the pain and embarrassment” caused by the domestic violence investigation that kept him out of the league last season. Bridges, speaking publicly for the first time since signing a one-year, $7.9 million contract to return to the Hornets, vowed to rebuild relationships with teammates and become more active in the Charlotte community. He pleaded no contest in November to a felony charge that stemmed from accusations that he assaulted the mother of his children in front of them. The 25-year-old was sentenced to three years of probation. “I

July 18, 2023
Hornets' Miles Bridges apologizes for 'pain and embarrassment' from domestic violence investigation
World

In Ukraine, a family's ordeal to identify and honor a veteran killed in Bucha ends after 16 months

The Ukrainian veteran’s gravestone carries his photograph and birthday, but the date Roman Shadlovskyi died is a broad estimate: March 2022, the month Russian forces brutally killed both civilians and military personnel before ending their occupation of Bucha. Shadlovskyi’s body was found about three months later in a mass grave along with the remains of six other people in a forest outside the city near Ukraine’s capital. Residents and relatives gathered at a Bucha cemetery on Tuesday to give him a proper burial. “They took him on the fourth of March, but we don’t know when

July 18, 2023
In Ukraine, a family's ordeal to identify and honor a veteran killed in Bucha ends after 16 months
World

After devastating 2022 hurricane season, AAA not renewing some insurance policies in Florida

AAA won’t renew “a very small percentage” of homeowners and auto insurance policies in hurricane-wracked Florida, joining other insurers in limiting their exposure in the Sunshine State despite efforts by lawmakers to calm the volatile insurance market, the company said Tuesday. AAA said in a statement that it wasn’t leaving Florida, but that last year’s devastating hurricane season had led to an “unprecedented” rise in reinsurance rates, making it more costly to operate. Officials with the company refused to say how many policies in Florida wouldn’t be renewed but said that they were “higher exposure” package

July 18, 2023
After devastating 2022 hurricane season, AAA not renewing some insurance policies in Florida
World

CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Here's what you need to see and know today

Water: important always, but a life-or-death substance at this moment as the planet grapples with extreme heat. In this arresting image from Phoenix, the sun beats down on the parched earth as Associated Press photographer Ross Franklin captures Tony Berastegui Jr., 15, right, and his sister Giselle Berastegui, 12, drinking bottled water in temperatures that soared to 115 degrees. It’s a week of extremes across the world as midsummer heat and bad rain buffet parts of the planet. Here’s what’s happening related to extreme weather and the climate right now: — Whether you live in the Mediterranean or are just

July 18, 2023
CLIMATE GLIMPSE: Here's what you need to see and know today
World

IOC's Bach says key to Russian decision for Paris Olympics is athletes' respectful conduct

The key factor in weighing the IOC’s ultimate decision on letting Russians participate at the 2024 Paris Games is how well athletes behave in international competitions, the Olympic body’s president Thomas Bach said Tuesday. “It’s too soon to draw final conclusions,” Bach said, adding “we have the responsibility not to punish athletes for the acts of their government.” The International Olympic Committee has pushed sports governing bodies this year to approve some athletes from Russia and its military ally Belarus competing as neutrals for international competitions including Paris qualifying events. Bach has previously said the IOC can

July 18, 2023
IOC's Bach says key to Russian decision for Paris Olympics is athletes' respectful conduct
World

Thai election winner set to make last stand in contentious bid to become prime minister

The leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, which won a surprise first-place finish in May’s general election, is expected to have a last chance Wednesday to get the country’s parliament to confirm him as the next prime minister after he was rebuffed in a first round of voting. Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat fell short last week when he failed to get enough support from the non-elected Senate, whose members made clear they would not vote for him because of his party’s platform. The party campaigned with a promise to try to amend a law that

July 18, 2023
Thai election winner set to make last stand in contentious bid to become prime minister
World

Las Vegas police serve search warrant in Tupac Shakur killing investigation

Authorities in Nevada confirmed Tuesday that they served a search warrant this week in connection with the long-unsolved killing of rapper Tupac Shakur nearly 30 years ago. Shakur, one of the most prolific figures in hip-hop, was killed on the night of Sept. 7, 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He was 25. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the search warrant was executed Monday in the nearby city of Henderson. Department spokesperson Aden OcampoGomez said he could not provide further details on the latest development in the case, including whether it was

July 18, 2023
Las Vegas police serve search warrant in Tupac Shakur killing investigation
World

Galchenyuk to check into player assistance program after outburst during arrest

Former Arizona Coyotes player Alex Galchenyuk is entering the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program and apologized for hurling threats at officers during his arrest earlier this month. Galchenyuk tweeted a letter on Tuesday apologizing for repeatedly using racial slurs toward an officer in training and threated to have two officers killed following a July 9 traffic stop. “I am deeply ashamed of my recent behavior and I am beyond sorry to everyone I offended and hurt,” he wrote. “It was uncalled for, it was horrific and it has ruined this great new opportunity I was given by

July 18, 2023
Galchenyuk to check into player assistance program after outburst during arrest
World

From compensating travelers to the pilot retirement age, Congress takes up aviation bill

With the frenzied summer travel season in full swing and the aviation system straining to keep up, Congress is expected to vote on legislation that over the next five years will shape the agency responsible for safely managing the nation’s airspace and regulating its airlines. Lawmakers this week will fight over the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules on everything from how pilots are trained to how long they can work and whether travelers will get more compensation for canceled and delayed flights. The White House weighed in on Monday, asking House members to keep an Obama-era requirement that advertised airfares must

July 18, 2023
From compensating travelers to the pilot retirement age, Congress takes up aviation bill
World

Big-ticket dreams spurred by $1B Powerball jackpot, but expert warns: Take it slow

With the Powerball jackpot topping $1 billion for this week’s drawing, millions of people across the country will be lining up at convenience stores, grocery and gas station counters hoping to hit it big. HOW DOES THIS LATEST POWERBALL JACKPOT STACK UP? The new jackpot for Wednesday’s drawing would be the seventh highest in U.S. history and the third largest for Powerball. If a sole player picks all five numbers plus the Powerball number drawn, they have the option of taking the $1 billion prize in yearly increments paid out over 29 years or a $516.8

July 18, 2023
Big-ticket dreams spurred by $1B Powerball jackpot, but expert warns: Take it slow
World

Human waste leaking from truck causes crashes on Connecticut highway

Human waste leaking from a tractor trailer on a Connecticut highway caused crashes including one involving two state police cruisers as vehicles spun out of control, authorities said. No major injuries were reported in Monday night’s mayhem on Interstate 95 in Bridgeport. Troopers arrested the truck driver on several charges, alleging he knew there was a leak but kept driving. The wrecks began shortly after 11 p.m. when the leaking waste caused extremely slick conditions in the northbound lanes, state police said. A motorcycle rider lost control and fell onto the road, ending up in a

July 18, 2023
Human waste leaking from truck causes crashes on Connecticut highway

Follow