U.S./World category, Page 163
New York sues vape distributors over Elf Bar and other fruit and candy e-cigarettes
New York on Thursday sued some of the country’s biggest distributors of electronic cigarettes, accusing the companies of violating state laws that prohibit the sale of vaping flavors and designs that appeal to children. Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit targeting middlemen that distribute fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes such...
No injuries from explosions on Israeli busses in a suspected militant attack, police say
JERUSALEM — A series of explosions Thursday on buses rattled central Israel in what authorities suspected was a terrorist attack. No injuries were reported. The explosions happened on a day when Israel was already grieving after Hamas returned the bodies of four hostages from Gaza. The bus explosions were reminiscent...
Trump loyalist Kash Patel confirmed as FBI director by Senate despite deep Democratic doubtsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, moving to place him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s...
New York governor won’t remove NYC mayor, for now, but plans to increase oversight of City Hall
NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul won’t immediately remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office, but will instead push for increased oversight of City Hall as he faces intense scrutiny over his bribery case and his relationship with the Trump administration. Hochul announced Thursday that she has, for...
New York governor says prison guards arrested, charged in death of handcuffed man beaten by them
UTICA, N.Y. — New York’s governor says prison workers are being arrested Thursday on murder charges in the death of an inmate who was beaten while handcuffed. The beating of Robert Brooks by multiple officers at Marcy Correctional Facility in December was caught on body cameras, triggering widespread outrage and...
When the pope is sick, Italians always gossip about who comes next — even before ‘Conclave’
ROME — The pope looms so large in everyday Italian life that there are lots of expressions that make light of even a dark event like his death. “A pope dies, they make another,” goes one, suggesting how life goes on. “Every death of a pope …” starts another, indicating...
Russia seems to have time on its side as the war in Ukraine reaches its 3rd year
When Russian troops rolled into Ukraine three years ago, they brought their parade uniforms with them on the push to Kyiv. President Vladimir Putin expected a quick victory. What Putin dubbed the “special military operation” has turned into Europe’s largest conflict since World War II. Tens of thousands have been...
What’s the key to surviving a plane crash? Skilled crew, strong seats and wings that detach
After watching videos of a Delta Air Lines jet catch fire upon landing and flip over on a Toronto runway, it’s fair to wonder how anyone could have survived. But aviation experts said it was not surprising that all 76 passengers and four crew walked away from Monday’s disaster, with...
Hamas returns bodies of 4 Israeli hostages said to include a mother and her 2 young children
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Hamas on Thursday returned the bodies of four hostages to Israel, prompting a nationwide outpouring of grief as flag-waving crowds lined highways on a rainy day to pay respect to a convoy carrying the coffins and thousands packed a Tel Aviv square in an emotional...
Pete Hegseth directs Pentagon to find $50 billion in cuts this year to fund Trump military priorities
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s priorities. Hegseth has committed to redirecting Pentagon spending to more directly support warfighters. In a statement...
Agriculture Department tries to rehire fired workers tied to bird flu response
OMAHA, Neb. — The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government’s response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years. The workers were among the thousands of federal employees eliminated on the recommendations...
Senators clash over FBI director pick ahead of confirmation vote
Republicans and Democrats sharpened their arguments over Kash Patel’s fitness to lead the FBI, offering starkly different versions of the nominee ahead of a confirmation vote expected Thursday. Senate Republicans have rallied around Patel’s nomination and his pledges to fight crime, while Democrats have described him as perilously unsuited for...
White man who pleaded guilty to shooting a Black teen who rang a wrong doorbell dies
MISSION, Kan. — An 86-year-old Missouri man has died just days after pleading guilty to a lesser charge in the 2023 shooting of Ralph Yarl, a Black honor student who rang the white man’s doorbell by mistake, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Andrew Lester of Kansas City was charged with first-degree assault...
Winter-weary East Coast hit with another storm as temperatures plunge elsewhereVideo
NORFOLK, Va. — The latest in a long line of storms took direct aim at the East Coast on Wednesday, threatening to dump heavy snow and some ice across several states on winter-weary residents. A storm that dropped snow in the Midwest spread across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, bringing...
Brazil’s former President Bolsonaro has been charged over an alleged coup. What’s next for him?Video
SAO PAULO — Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro has been charged with orchestrating a plot to stay in office despite losing the 2022 election — a plot that the country’s top prosecutor says included a plan to poison his opponent, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The unprecedented charges handed down...
A worried NATO holds large-scale combat drills as U.S. stance on Europe shifts under TrumpVideo
SMARDAN, Romania — NATO members continued their largest combat exercises of 2025 on Wednesday, testing their ability to rapidly deploy large-scale forces on the 32-nation alliance’s eastern border as worries grow over its most powerful member, the United States. The drills in Romania, which borders Ukraine, come as a shaken...
Trump administration orders halt to NYC toll meant to fight traffic, fund mass transit
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday ordered a halt to congestion pricing tolls in New York City, which thin traffic and fund mass transit by making people pay to drive into some parts of Manhattan. Launched on Jan. 5, the city’s system uses license plate readers to...
2 people dead after small plane collision in southern Arizona
A midair collision involving two small planes in southern Arizona killed at least two people Wednesday morning, authorities said. Federal air-safety investigators said two people were on board each plane as they collided near Marana Regional Airport on the outskirts of Tucson. One plane landed uneventfully while the other hit...
A look at the 8 Latin American crime groups designated as terrorist organizations by U.S.
MEXICO CITY — The United States government is formally designating eight Latin American organized crime groups that also operate in the U.S. to be “foreign terrorist organizations.” They are involved in drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and extend their territory through violence. The Trump administration is applying a “terrorist” designation that’s...
Probability of asteroid striking Earth highest ever recorded
The probability of an asteroid striking Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, has risen to the highest level ever recorded — 3.1%, the New York Times reported. Known as 2024 YR4, the space rock was first detected in December, and it’s between 130 to 300 feet long, according to the Times....
Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP. Past efforts show it’s not easy
A push to ban sugary drinks, candy and more from the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for nutritious food has been tried before — but it may soon get a boost from new Trump administration officials. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly confirmed health and human services secretary,...
Columbine survivor Anne Marie Hochhalter, who forgave gunman’s mother, dies at 43
DENVER — Anne Marie Hochhalter, who was partially paralyzed in the Columbine High School shooting but found strength to forgive and to heal her soul after bonding with another family devastated by the tragedy, has died. She was 43. Hochhalter was found in her home in suburban Denver on Sunday....
Justice Department and New York Mayor Adams face judge’s scrutiny in bid to dismiss criminal charges
NEW YORK — Justice Department lawyers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams are set to face a federal judge who is signaling that he’s unlikely to rubber stamp their request to drop the mayor’s corruption charges weeks before an April trial. Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan scheduled the...
Americans’ confidence in air travel safety dips slightly after Washington plane crash: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in air travel and the federal agencies tasked with maintaining air safety has slipped a little from last year, following a recent crash in Washington, according to a new poll, but most still believe air transportation is generally safe. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center...
Palestinian families flee West Bank homes in droves as Israel confronts militants
FAR’A REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank — By car and on foot, through muddy olive groves and snipers’ sight lines, tens of thousands of Palestinians in recent weeks have fled Israeli military operations across the northern West Bank — the largest displacement in the occupied territory since the 1967 Mideast war....
