US & World News

Sheriff: Ex-Jail Official, Inmate She Helped Escape Caught

ASSOCIATED PRESS — A former Alabama jail official and the murder suspect she is accused of helping escape from custody were apprehended Monday in Indiana after more than a week on the run, law enforcement officials said. Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton of Alabama said the two fugitives were caught near Evansville, Indiana, after U.S. Marshals pursued their pickup truck….

Jill Biden Pays Surprise Visit to Ukraine, Meets First Lady

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool) UZHHOROD, Ukraine (AP) – Jill Biden spent several hours in Ukraine on Sunday, driving from the border with Slovakia to a town 10 minutes away to see first lady Olena Zelenska on Mother’s Day. Biden is the latest high-profile American to enter Ukraine during the war, while Zelenska’s public appearance was her first since Russia invaded…

Biden: US Sending Another $150M in Assistance for Ukraine

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Joe Biden on Friday authorized the shipment of another $150 million in military assistance for Ukraine for artillery rounds and radar systems in its fight against Russia’s invading forces. Biden says the latest spending means his administration has “nearly exhausted” what Congress authorized for Ukraine in March and called on lawmakers to swiftly approve a more…

US Added 428,000 Jobs In April Despite Surging Inflation

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added 428,000 jobs in April, extending a streak of solid hiring that has defied punishing inflation, chronic supply shortages, the Russian war against Ukraine and much higher borrowing costs. Friday’s jobs report from the Labor Department showed that last month’s hiring kept the unemployment rate at 3.6%, just above the lowest level in a half-century….

Karine Jean-Pierre To Be Next White House Press Secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday named Karine Jean-Pierre to be the next White House press secretary, with incumbent Jen Psaki set to leave the role next week. Biden is also bringing back longtime Democratic strategist Anita Dunn as his senior adviser. She had served in the Biden White House last year for several months after Biden was…

How Higher Fed Rates Stand To Affect Americans’ Finances

WASHINGTON (AP) — Record-low mortgages below 3%, reached last year, are long gone. Credit card rates will likely rise. So will the cost of an auto loan. Savers may finally receive a yield high enough to top inflation. The substantial half-point hike in its benchmark short-term rate that the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday won’t, by itself, have much immediate effect…

Ukrainian Fighters: Russian Forces Storming Mariupol Plant

ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces Tuesday began storming the steel mill containing the last pocket of resistance in Mariupol, Ukrainian defenders said, just as scores of civilians evacuated from the bombed-out plant over the weekend reached relative safety in Ukrainian-held territory. Osnat Lubrani, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Ukraine, said that thanks to the evacuation effort, “101 women, men,…

Biden Blasts ‘Radical’ Draft, Warns Other Rights Threatened

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday blasted what he called a “radical” leaked draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, warning that a “whole range of rights” are in jeopardy if it holds. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Biden said he hoped the…

Report: Draft Opinion Suggests Supreme Court Will Overturn Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON (AP) — A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. It’s unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter. The Associated Press…

Mysterious Pediatric Liver Disease Found in Minnesota

The cases have no known connection, although a link with a virus that can cause colds is being investigated.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Health said it’s investigating several severe cases of hepatitis among children and has reported the cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC continues to investigate cases of the sudden liver disease in nearly 200 children that has health authorities in several countries racing to find answers. The illness is…

Local Rotary Club Member Returns from Work with Ukrainian Refugees in Poland

Rotary Clubs in Poland, coupled with others across the world, have helped raise $150,000 of the $300,000 needed to start a mental health center.

DULUTH, Minn.- A member of the Duluth Skyline Rotary Club returned from Poland to continue raising money to establish a mental health center for Ukrainian refugee kids caught up in the turmoil of Russia’s invasion of their country. Bob Sherman traveled to Poland in March to see firsthand the needs of the millions of Ukrainian refugees who fled there. It…

Biden to Speak at Memorial in Minneapolis Sunday for Former VP Mondale

White House press secretary Jen Psaki says Biden wanted to attend because of the “important, personal relationship” he had with Mondale.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – President Joe Biden plans to speak at a memorial service on Sunday for former Vice President Walter Mondale, who died last April at age 93. The service was delayed by the pandemic. Biden will travel to Minneapolis for the event at the University of Minnesota. Biden has described Mondale as a “dear friend and mentor” and “one…

Judge Finds Donald Trump In Contempt In New York Legal Fight

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge found former President Donald Trump in contempt of court and set in motion $10,000 daily fines Monday for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena issued by the state’s attorney general as part of a civil investigation into his business dealings. Judge Arthur Engoron said a contempt finding was appropriate because Trump…

Elon Musk Buys Twitter For $44B And Will Privatize Company

ASSOCIATED PRESS — Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion on Monday, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform where he promotes his interests, attacks critics and opines on social and economic issues to more than 83 million followers. The outspoken Tesla CEO, who is also the world’s wealthiest person, has…

Wisconsin Cross Country, Track Runner Sarah Shulze Dies

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Sarah Shulze, a runner on the University of Wisconsin’s track and cross country teams, has died. She was 21. Shulze’s family announced on April 15 that she had died two days earlier, and gave the cause of death. “Sarah took her own life,” the family said. “Balancing athletics, academics and the demands of everyday life overwhelmed her…

Disney Government Dissolution Bill Signed By DeSantis

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Friday to dissolve the private government Walt Disney World controls on its property in the state, punishing the entertainment giant for opposing a new law that critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” The move is expected to have huge tax implications for Disney and further sour the relationship between the…

Three Shot in Washington, D.C., Police Search for Suspect

Police Say At Least 3 Shot, 'Active Threat' in Northwest D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Police and federal agents swarmed into a northwest Washington neighborhood on Friday after at least three people were shot in a flurry of gunfire. City officials warned people to stay inside because of an “active threat” as dozens of officers in tactical gear were searching for the suspect. The law enforcement officers responded to the scene in…

Florida Judge Voids US Mask Mandate For Planes, Other Travel

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge in Florida on Monday voided the national mask mandate covering airlines and other public transportation as exceeding the authority of U.S. health officials in their response to the coronavirus pandemic. The mandate, recently extended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, covered a vast array of transportation, from airplanes and trains…

For Many, Easter Sunday Marks A Return To In-Person Worship

BOSTON (AP) — For many U.S. Christians, this weekend marked the first time since 2019 that they gathered in person on Easter Sunday, a welcome chance to celebrate one of the year’s holiest days side by side with fellow congregants. Notable events included a 6 a.m. sunrise Mass outdoors near the waterfront in South Boston, and a joyous, hug-filled service…

Russia Renews Strikes on Ukraine Capital, Hits Other Cities

Firefighters work to extinguish multiple fires after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Saturday, April 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) ADAM SCHRECK and MSTYSLAV CHERNOV (AP) — Russian forces accelerated scattered attacks on Kyiv, western Ukraine and beyond Saturday in an explosive reminder to Ukrainians and their Western supporters that the whole country remains under threat despite Moscow’s pivot toward mounting a…

Man Wanted In Brooklyn Subway Attack Arrested, Officials Say

NEW YORK (AP) — The man wanted in the shooting of 10 people on a subway in Brooklyn was arrested Wednesday afternoon, a day after the attack on a crowded rush-hour train. Frank R. James, 62, was taken into custody in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, law enforcement officials who weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity…

UWS Exhibit Hopes To Educate, Create Empathy for Refugees Worldwide

The exhibit became even more poignant with the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Twice a year over at UWS, students and professors put together an interactive exhibit where people can walk in the shoes of refugees escaping war-torn countries. At it’s showing Tuesday, it became more poignant for many, with the millions of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion and bombardment of their country. The exhibit, called “From Afghanistan to Germany,” is a…

COVID-19, Overdoses Pushed US To Highest Death Total Ever

NEW YORK (AP) — 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad. The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work on death statistics. The agency this month quietly updated its provisional…

Duluth Woman Flies To Poland-Ukraine Border With Medical Supplies For Refugees

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluthian born and raised in Ukraine left the Duluth International Airport Monday for the border of Poland and Ukraine with all types of medical supplies as Russian forces continue their deadly war there. Bogdana Krivogorsky spoke to FOX 21’s Dan Hanger before hopping on a plane overseas. “Think about it. One day everything is gone and…

Biden Aims At ‘Ghost Gun’ Violence With New Federal Rule

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday took fresh aim at ghost guns, the privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up in violent crimes, as he struggles to break past gun-control opposition to address firearm deaths. Speaking at the White House, Biden highlighted the Justice Department’s work to finalize new regulations to crack down on ghost guns,…

Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins Killed in Auto Accident

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been killed in an auto accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Authorities say Haskins was hit by a dump truck while walking on a highway. The Steelers and Washington Commanders, his former team, released statements extending their condolences. The 24-year-old Haskins was a first-round draft…

Will Smith Gets 10-year Oscars Ban Over Chris Rock Slap

The academy in a statement called Smith’s actions “unacceptable and harmful.”

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello LOS ANGELES (AP) – The motion picture academy has banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years following his slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. The move comes after a meeting Friday of the academy’s board of governors to discuss a response to Smith’s actions. The academy in…

Arrest Made In Connection With Sacramento Mass Shooting

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Sacramento police announced an arrest Monday connected with the shooting that killed six people and wounded a dozen others in the heart of California’s capital city as at least two shooters fired more than 100 rounds and people ran for their lives. Police said they booked Dandre Martin, 26, as a “related suspect” on charges of…

California Mass Shooting: 6 dead, 12 Injured In Sacramento

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Six people were killed and 12 injured early Sunday in Sacramento when shots were fired into crowds as bars and nightclubs emptied for the night in the second mass shooting in five weeks in California’s capital city. Police were searching for at least one suspect and had recovered at least one firearm. Investigators said they were…

Jury Hearing Closing Arguments in Gov. Whitmer Kidnap Trial

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – Jurors are hearing closing arguments in the trial of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. A prosecutor says the men were “filled with rage” against government and Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. But a defense lawyer says there was no plot, and that the men were under the influence of…

Friends of ‘CODA’ Star Daniel Durant, Twin Ports Deaf Community Inspired by Oscars Win

The deaf studies minor at UMD has the second-largest enrollment in the school.

DULUTH, Minn.- The small town pride for Duluth actor Daniel Durant was amplified by his fellow members of the deaf and hard of hearing community here in town. The deaf studies minor at UMD has the second-largest enrollment in the school. Courses include Linguistics, Deaf Culture, and American Sign Language Skill Building Workshop. Coordinators at UMD’s American Sign Language Lab…

FDA OKs Another Pfizer, Moderna COVID Booster for 50 and Up

U.S. regulators are allowing people 50 and older to get another booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

AP-U.S. regulators on Tuesday authorized another COVID-19 booster for people age 50 and older, a step to offer extra protection for the most vulnerable in case the coronavirus rebounds. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision opens a fourth dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to that age group at least four months after their previous booster. Until now, the…

Judge: Trump Likely Committed Crimes Related To Election

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday asserted it is “more likely than not” that former President Donald Trump committed crimes in his attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 election, ruling to order the release of more than 100 emails from Trump adviser John Eastman to the committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The ruling by U.S….

Florida’s DeSantis Signs Parental Rights In Education Bill

FLORIDA (FOX) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday a parental rights bill that bans teachers from giving classroom instruction on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” in kindergarten through third grade. “In Florida, we not only know that parents have a right to be involved, we insist that parents have a right to be involved,” DeSantis said at a press conference at…

Affordable Housing, Long Overlooked, Getting Federal Boost

BOSTON (AP) – States and localities are increasingly tapping federal funds to help finance efforts to build more affordable housing, repair dilapidated units or reduce their homeless numbers. Housing advocates believe the money from the $350 billion Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds could transform the way communities address the growing homelessness problem and a shortage of affordable housing….

Biscuits Or Bratwurst: GOP Weighs Its Convention Choices

ASSOCIATED PRESS — In Milwaukee, one of two cities vying to host the Republican presidential convention in 2024, Democrats were pilloried by the potential visitors after predawn election results delivered Wisconsin for Joe Biden in the 2020 White House race. Rival Nashville, Tennessee, is run by a mayor whose Democratic brother was effectively redistricted out of his congressional seat by Republicans….

Biden on Russia’s Putin: `This Man Cannot Remain in Power’

Shortly after his speech, a White House official said Biden was “not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change.” 

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – President Joe Biden said Saturday that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” dramatically escalating the rhetoric against the Russian leader after his brutal invasion of Ukraine. The comment at the very end of a speech in Poland’s capital that served as the capstone on a four-day trip to Europe. Even as Biden’s words rocketed around the…

Supreme Court Tosses Wisconsin Legislative Voting Maps

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday threw out Wisconsin state legislative maps that were preferred by the state’s Democratic governor and selected by Wisconsin’s top court, making it unclear what the boundaries will be for the fall election. But while the justices in an unsigned opinion threw out voting maps the Wisconsin Supreme Court had selected for the…

Madeleine Albright, 1st Female US Secretary Of State, Dies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died of cancer, her family said Wednesday. She was 84. President Bill Clinton chose Albright as America’s top diplomat in 1996, and she served in that capacity for the last four years of the Clinton administration. At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history…

Family, Friends Remember Eveleth-Native Jimmy Hill, Killed While Caring for Sick Partner in Ukraine

68-year-old Jimmy Hill was confirmed to be one of ten people gunned down by Russian forces while waiting in line for bread in the city of Chernihiv.

The war between Russia and Ukraine hits closer to home as last week after Eveleth native Jimmy Hill was killed while waiting in line for bread – a harsh reminder of the far-reaching impacts of the conflict. “When I’d wake up the first thing I would do is check and his message would be ‘made it through the night, still…

Gov. Walz Orders Minnesota Flags at Half Staff in Remembrance of U.S. Rep. Don Young

Photo: AP/File MINNESOTA- In accordance with a proclamation issued by President Joe Biden, Governor Tim Walz ordered all flags statewide at half-staff until midnight Saturday, in honor and remembrance of U.S. Representative Don Young, who passed away Friday night. Sometimes called the Dean of the House, the 88-year-old Alaska Congressman was the longest-serving member, serving 25 terms, and was about…

UMD Grad Calls Eveleth-Native Killed in Ukraine ‘helpful guy, open-minded person’

Hill was staying in Ukraine to support his partner who was suffering from multiple sclerosis.

MINNESOTA- We’re learning more about the Eveleth native killed waiting in line for bread in Ukraine as his friend shares some of her memories. Jimmy Hill was identified Thursday as one of several people killed when Russian forces opened fire on civilians in Chernihiv. Hill was staying in Ukraine to support his partner who was suffering from multiple sclerosis. Sasha…

Canada To Drop COVID Tests For Vaccinated Visitors: Official

TORONTO (AP) — Canada will no longer require a pre-arrival COVID-19 test for vaccinated travelers as of April 1.A senior government official confirmed the change Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly ahead of the announcement this week.Last month, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that travelers coming to Canada would be able to present a…

Minnesota-born Jimmy Hill Killed In Ukraine While Trying To Find Food

(FOX 9) – The American killed during a military strike by Russia in Ukraine has been identified as Jimmy Hill. Family members confirm to FOX 9 that 68-year-old Hill, who was born in Eveleth, Minnesota and graduated from Mahtomedi High School, was killed in the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine while trying to find food. “He was only going out to try and find…

Minnesota-Native Musher Brent Sass Wins his 1st Iditarod Race Across Alaska

Photo: Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Musher Brent Sass won the arduous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska on Tuesday as his team of 11 dogs dashed off the Bering Sea ice through a crowd of fans in downtown Nome. Sass mushed down Front Street and across the finish line just before 6 a.m….

Tom Brady Is Returning To Tampa To Play 23rd Season In NFL

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady’s retirement lasted 40 days. Brady said Sunday he’s returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd NFL season. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he has “unfinished business.” The news stole the spotlight from the NCAA’s Selection Sunday. “These past two months I’ve realized my place…