…
‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ boosts Will Smith’s comeback with $56M opening
New York — “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence action-comedy series, opened with an estimated $56 million in theaters over the weekend, handing Hollywood a much-needed summer hit and Smith his biggest success since he slapped Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. Expectations were all over the map for “Ride or Die” given the dismal moviegoing market thus far …
Large chunk of Wyoming’s Teton Pass road collapses; unclear how quickly it can be rebuilt
JACKSON, Wyo. — A large chunk of a twisting mountain pass road collapsed in Wyoming, authorities said Saturday, leaving a gaping chasm in the highway and severing a well-traveled commuter link between small towns in eastern Idaho and the tourist destination of Jackson. Aerial photos and drone video of the collapse show the Teton Pass road riven with deep cracks, and a big section of the …
Biden honors US war dead with cemetery visit ending French trip
BELLEAU, France — President Joe Biden closed out his trip to France by paying his respects at an American military cemetery that Donald Trump notably skipped visiting when he was president, hoping his final stop Sunday will draw the stakes of the November election in stark relief. Before returning to the United States, Biden honored America’s war dead at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery about an hour outside …
Washington state pioneers program to turn inmates into wildland firefighters
Spokane, Washington — The inmates of Washington state’s prison system tramp through the forest, their yellow uniforms and helmets bright against the brown branches and green leaves. They are Arcadia 20, or ARC 20, an elite group of firefighters based in Spokane who have been recruited from existing firefighting prison camps. The aim? Teach the inmates the skills needed to help prevent forest fires …
Protesters form red line around White House, calling for end to war in Gaza
white house — Protesters formed a symbolic red line around the White House on Saturday, calling for an end to the eight-month Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and urging American leaders to press Israel not to invade Rafah, where airstrikes were reported Saturday. As the conflict enters its ninth month, the demonstrators chanted “From D.C. to Palestine, we are the red line” while holding a long banner …
US WWII veteran marries 96-year-old bride near Normandy’s D-Day beaches
CARENTAN-LES-MARAIS, France — Together, the collective age of the bride and groom was nearly 200. But World War II veteran Harold Terens and his sweetheart Jeanne Swerlin proved that love is eternal as they tied the knot Saturday inland of the D-Day beaches in Normandy, France. Their respective ages — he’s 100, she’s 96 — made their nuptials an almost double-century celebration. Terens called it “the …
Pro-Palestinian protesters plan to surround White House
WASHINGTON — Pro-Palestinian activists demanding an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and to U.S. support for Israel plan to surround the White House during a weekend protest, prompting additional security measures, including anti-scale fencing. Advocacy and activist groups such as CODEPINK and the Council on American Islamic Relations said Friday that demonstrations are planned on Saturday, marking eight months of Israel’s war in …
Phoenix using ice immersion to treat heatstroke victims as Southwest bakes
PHOENIX — The season’s first heat wave is already baking the Southwest with triple-digit temperatures as firefighters in Phoenix — America’s hottest big city — employ new tactics in hopes of saving more lives in a county that saw 645 heat-related deaths last year. Starting this season, the Phoenix Fire Department is immersing heatstroke victims in ice on the way to area hospitals. The medical technique, …
Man died with bird flu; US officials remain focused on another form of it
NEW YORK — The mysterious death of a man in Mexico who had one kind of bird flu is unrelated to outbreaks of a different type at U.S. dairy farms, experts say. Here’s a look at the case and the different types of bird flu. What happened in the Mexico bird flu case? A 59-year-old man in Mexico who had been bedridden because of chronic health …
Former astronaut who took iconic photo of Earth dies in plane crash
seattle, washington — Retired Major General William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic “Earthrise” photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off the San Juan Islands in Washington state. He was 90. His son, Greg Anders, confirmed the death to The Associated …
Penn State Law commencement illustrates strength of Uzbek scholars
State College, Pennsylvania — Looking out over a sea of graduates at Penn State Law school’s recent commencement, one could be forgiven for thinking it was in Central Asia. One after another, 47 Uzbek men and women were called up on stage to be conferred an LLM (Master of Laws) degree by this American institution founded some 200 years ago. Nearly a third of the Class …
Pakistan-India cricket match in US sets fans’ rivalry on fire
karachi, pakistan — British author George Orwell once said, “Sports is war minus the shooting.” In modern sport, when we speak about the greatest rivalries, a cricket match between archrivals India and Pakistan truly lives up to the saying. One such battle will occur Sunday in the T20 Cricket World Cup at the newly built Nassau Stadium in New York. Unfortunately, there is space for just …
US employers add a robust 272,000 jobs in May
WASHINGTON — America’s employers added a strong 272,000 jobs in May, accelerating from April and a sign that companies are still confident enough in the economy to keep hiring despite persistently high interest rates. Last month’s sizable job gain suggests that the economy is still growing steadily, propelled by consumer spending on travel, entertainment and other services. U.S. airports, for example, reported record traffic over the …
Number of foreign-born people hits record in US, despite slow population growth
Immigrants make up almost 14% of US population …
What US foreign policy might look like under second Biden, Trump term
Wars in the Middle East and Europe — and the U.S. rivalry with China — will remain key issues to U.S. diplomats no matter who wins the November presidential elections. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara looks at the foreign policy priorities of the two candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump. …
Will Trump go to prison? Experts weigh in
Former U.S. President Donald Trump faces the prospect of prison time after a New York jury convicted him of falsifying business records. The legal process casts uncertainty on his campaign and future election chances. Tina Trinh reports from New York. …
Jurors in Hunter Biden trial hear more from clerk who sold him gun at center of case
WILMINGTON, Delaware — Jurors at Hunter Biden’s criminal trial heard more Thursday from the former gun store clerk who sold him the .38-caliber Colt revolver at the center of the case. The clerk testified Wednesday that he watched as President Joe Biden’s son checked off “no” to the question of whether he was “an unlawful user of or addicted to” marijuana, stimulants, narcotics or any other …
Democratic contraception access bill fails in US Senate
WASHINGTON — A bill to safeguard access to contraceptives failed to advance in a U.S. Senate vote on Wednesday, after congressional Democrats forced the vote in a bid to focus public attention on reproductive rights ahead of the November election. The Right to Contraception Act, which would protect birth control access nationwide, got 51 votes in support and 39 against, but fell short of the chamber’s …
US House Republicans issue criminal referrals against Biden’s son, brother
washington — U.S. House Republicans issued criminal referrals Wednesday against President Joe Biden’s son and brother, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the Republicans’ yearlong impeachment inquiry. The Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Accountability, Judiciary and Ways and Means committees sent a letter to the Justice Department recommending the prosecution of Hunter Biden and James Biden and accusing them …
Biden dispatches top aides to press Hamas as Israel grapples with cease-fire plan
White House — President Joe Biden’s top aides are in the Middle East to push for a three-phase Gaza cease-fire plan that the U.S. leader announced last week as the latest offer from the Israeli war cabinet. The deal would see an initial six-week pause of fighting and secure the release of some hostages held by Hamas and some Palestinians detained in Israeli jails. CIA director …