The U.S. Justice Department has announced a settlement with the state of Iowa to resolve allegations of abuse and inadequate care at a state-run care center for people with intellectual disabilities. A proposed consent decree announced Thursday would see an independent monitor appointed to a…
The Prince and Princess of Wales got a first-hand look at some groundbreaking innovations at a green technology startup incubator in suburban Boston, then followed with a visit to an organization that works to raise up young people struggling through poverty and violence. Hundreds of cheerin…
A prosecutor told jurors in the Trump Organization's criminal tax fraud trial that the company “cultivated a culture of fraud and deception” by lavishing luxe perks on executives and hiding the compensation. A fiery summation by Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joshua Steinglass on Thur…
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown is wanted on a battery charge in Tampa stemming from a domestic incident. Police say the 34-year-old Brown was involved in a verbal altercation with a woman at a home in Tampa on Monday. The report says Brown threw a shoe at the victim, attempted to evi…
The Senate passed a bill to bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement. Critics say the contract lacks sufficient levels of paid leave for rail workers.
The judge who oversaw the trial of a man convicted of killing six people when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade last year says national exposure and encouragement she got for her handling of the case is not why she is running for a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. But Dan Kell…
A 58-year-old ex-convict has been sentenced to 18 to 45 years in prison for killing and dismembering a man whose severed head was found in a stolen pickup truck about a year ago in Las Vegas. Eric Holland declared himself truly remorseful at sentencing Wednesday for the shooting death of his…
The judge who oversaw the trial of a man convicted of killing six people when he drove his SUV through a Christmas parade last year says national exposure and encouragement she got for her handling of the case is not why she is running for a pivotal Wisconsin Supreme Court seat. But Dan Kelly, one of her challengers and a fellow conservative, said Thursday that the case is the only reason Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow got in the race. Dorow and Kelly are the two conservative candidates for the open seat to be determined in the April 4 election. Two liberal judges are also running.
A 58-year-old ex-convict has been sentenced to 18 to 45 years in prison for killing and dismembering a man whose severed head was found in a stolen pickup truck about a year ago in Las Vegas. Eric Holland declared himself truly remorseful at sentencing Wednesday for the shooting death of his friend, Richard P. Miller. Holland pleaded guilty July 19 to second-degree murder and felony theft, avoiding trial on an open murder charge carrying a possible life sentence. Without providing details, Holland suggested in court there was more to the case and said he hoped authorities would continue to investigate his motive for the killing.
Known for her feminist themes and often brutally frank, highly personal and self-critical work, American cartoonist Aline Kominsky-Crumb has died at the age of 74. A close collaborator of her cartoonist husband, Robert Crumb, she died of cancer Tuesday at their longtime home in France. That's according to the manager of the website that sells Crumb’s work. Kominsky-Crumb was known for work that was not only autobiographical but also bracingly sexual and explicit. She met Crumb in the early 1970s in San Francisco, where she was part of the all-female Wimmen’s Comix collective before breaking with the group and starting “Twisted Sisters” with Diane Noomin.
Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron have vowed to maintain a united front against Russia amid growing worries about waning support for Ukraine in the U.S. and Europe. Biden on Thursday also signaled that he may be willing to tweak aspects of his signature climate legislation that have raised concerns with France and other European allies. While Biden is honoring Macron with a fancy state dinner Thursday evening, the glamour and pomp of the visit has been shadowed by Macron’s criticism of Biden’s climate legislation and the challenges both leaders face amid the mounting costs of keeping military and economic aid flowing to Kyiv.
The European Union is edging closer to a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil. It's a highly anticipated and complex political and economic maneuver designed to keep Russian oil flowing into global markets while clamping down on President Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund his war in Ukraine. EU nations sought to push the cap across the finish line Thursday after Poland held out to get as low a figure as possible. There's a deadline to set the price for discounted oil by Monday, when a European embargo on seaborne Russian crude and a ban on shipping insurance for those supplies take effect.
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed increasing ethanol and other biofuels that must be blended into the nation’s fuel supplies over the next three years. Thursday's announcement was welcomed by renewable fuel and farm groups but condemned by environmentalists and oil industry groups. The proposal also includes incentives for the use of biogas from farms and landfills, and biomass such as wood, to generate electricity to charge electric vehicles. It’s the first time the EPA has set biofuel targets on its own instead deferring to Congress. The agency opened a public comment period and will hold a hearing in January.
The Senate has moved quickly to avert a rail strike that the Biden administration and business leaders say would greatly damage the economy. The Senate passed a bill Thursday to bind rail companies and workers to a proposed settlement that was reached between the rail companies and union leaders in September. That settlement had been rejected by some of the 12 unions involved, creating the possibility of a strike. The Senate vote was 80-15. It came one day after the House voted to impose the agreement. The measure now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
The Supreme Court says the Biden administration program to cancel student loans will remain blocked for now, but the justices have agreed to take up the case in late winter. The court’s decision to hear arguments relatively quickly means it is likely to determine whether the widespread loan cancellations are legal by late June. That’s about two months before the newly extended pause on loan repayments is set to expire. The administration had wanted a court order that would have allowed the program to take effect even as court challenges proceed. But as a fallback, it suggested the high court hold arguments and decide the issue.
The United Nations’ highest court has found little to rule on in a long-running dispute over a small river which flows from Bolivia to Chile as the Latin American neighbors had mostly resolved their conflict during the 6-year proceedings. The International Court of Justice spent most of the hour-long hearing announcing the legal claims over the Silala River — a short waterway in the Atacama Desert — were “without object” as both countries now agree on how the water system should be managed. Chile’s president says the ruling “recognized that Chile’s historical and current use of the waters” is in line with international law. His Bolivian counterpart says the decision has confirmed “our rights over the waters of Silala.”
Police in Raleigh, North Carolina, have released body camera video from a shootout with a 15-year-old boy suspected of fatally shooting five people and wounding two more. Police spent several hours searching for the armed suspect after the rampage seven weeks ago. The teen was ultimately found in a shed behind a residential property. The newly released video images show officers surrounding the structure. Multiple shots ring out from the building, and officers return fire. The video also shows Raleigh Police Officer Casey Clark being shot in the right knee and then dragged to safety behind another building.
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — The lava from the world's largest volcano is so hot and bright that the sky has turned orange. At night, throngs of people have been gathering to witness nature's spectacular light show in Hawaii.
Stocks ended mixed after an uneven day of trading and bond yields fell broadly after the government reported that a measure of inflation that’s closely watched by the Federal Reserve eased in October. The S&P 500 ended 0.1% lower Thursday. The benchmark index is coming off its second straight monthly gain. A day earlier, markets rallied after Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicated the central bank could dial back the pace of its interest rate increases. The Fed has been deliberately slowing the economy in order to tame stubbornly hot inflation. Salesforce slumped after its co-CEO said he would resign.
Senate votes to avert harmful freight rail strike threatened for Dec. 9; bill now goes to Biden for signature.
The tent is ready and the tables are set for the big state dinner at the White House. But before guests start arriving, Jill Biden took her French counterpart to a language museum to highlight their mutual interest in learning. More than 300 guests were to begin arriving as the sun starts to fade. Butter-poached Maine lobster, beef with shallot marmalade and American cheeses will be served. Dessert is orange chiffon cake. A White House state dinner is a high diplomatic honor reserved for only the closest U.S. allies. Thursday's is the first one for President Joe Biden.
The ACLU of Arizona says it is suing the city of Phoenix in order to block resumed sweeps of a huge homeless encampment downtown that they say has displaced people and destroyed identification documents, prescription medications and other belongings. The ACLU says it filed the complaint late Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of Arizona to halt the city's possible resumption in December of raids that were paused at the beginning of 2022. It's the latest move in an ongoing tug-of-war between advocates and cities in Western states over how best to tackle the problem of homelessness.
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The nation’s new 988 hotline, intended to help anyone experiencing a mental health emergency, has been out of service for several hours Thursday. Those trying to reach the line for help with suicide, depression or other mental health crises are greeted with a message that says the line is “experiencing a service outage.” People can still reach a mental health counselor through the lifeline by texting “988” or opening a chat at 988lifeline.org.
Mexico has declared a 20% increase in the country's daily minimum wage. Starting next year, the minimum wage will be 207 pesos, or about $10.50, for an eight-hour day. That's up from the current level of 172 pesos, or about $8.80 per day. Stubbornly high inflation, however, is expected to eat into that increase. Inflation, especially for basic goods, ran at an average of about 9% this year, and is expected to continue high next year. Wages along the northern border, where prices are higher, will be set at 312 pesos, or about $16 per day. The changes announced Thursday will go into effect Jan. 1.
Hate rats? Are you a “somewhat bloodthirsty” New Yorker with excellent communication skills and “a general aura of badassery”? Then you might have what it takes to be the city’s new rat czar. Mayor Eric Adams’ administration posted a job listing this week seeking someone to lead the city’s long-running battle against rats. The official job title is “director of rodent mitigation,” although it was promptly dubbed the rat czar. The salary range is $120,000 to $170,000. The posting is whimsical, but the job is daunting. New York City leaders have been trying to control the rodent population for generations, with mixed results.
A coroner says two children were among five people found dead at a suburban Chicago home following what police called a “domestic-related incident." Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek said Thursday that two children and three adults were found dead Wednesday in the home in the village of Buffalo Grove. Authorities would not discuss who they believe is responsible or the weapon used. Banek says four of the five autopsies determined that sharp force injuries caused those deaths. A fifth autopsy is expected to be complete by end of Thursday. Police say the five bodies were found inside a single-family residence.
St. Louis County prosecutors say two adults are charged in the death of a toddler who ingested fentanyl. Police announced Thursday that the child died at a hospital after officers went to a home in Florissant in November. She has been identified as 21-month-old Lilinna Leak. Prosecutors have charged 35-year-old Amanda Tufts and 25-year-old James Collins each with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. A probable cause statement says officers found the child unconscious at the home. A hospital screening found fentanyl in her system. The statement says detectives found a large amount of drug paraphernalia, powder residue and handguns in the home.
An 82-year-old Alabama woman was arrested for failing to pay her $77.80 trash bill. Court records show the Chambers County woman was arrested Sunday for not paying the bill that covered the months of June, July and August. She was charged with a misdemeanor offense of “failure to pay solid waste fees.” The arrest drew outrage on social media as criminalizing poverty. A city official said the arrest came after multiple attempts to collect the bill and a history of suspended service. A statement on the city of Valley’s Facebook page said code enforcement officers attempted to contact her several times and left a door hanger at her home. She was arrested after not appearing at a September court date.
Morocco is the Arab world’s last hope at the first World Cup ever to be held in the Middle East. The fractured region is rallying around the North African nation after its 2-1 win against Canada that advanced Morocco to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time since 1986. Morocco’s success sparked angry street riots in Belgium after a match earlier this week but on Thursday triggered an outpouring of joy in the Arab world where local teams are often underdogs. A similar rush of regional goodwill followed Saudi Arabia’s shock win against two-time World Cup winner Argentina last week.
The court's decision to hear arguments relatively quickly means it's likely to determine whether the loan cancellations are legal by late June.