US & World News

Move Over UPS Truck: Amazon Delivery Vans to hit the Street

The Trucks Allow Amazon to not Rely on FedEx or UPS

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE (AP) — Your Amazon packages, which usually show up in a UPS truck, an unmarked vehicle or in the hands of a mail carrier, may soon be delivered from an Amazon van. The online retailer has been looking for a while to find a way to have more control over how its packages are delivered. With…

Police ID body found in major league stadium as Minnesotan

An Autopsy is Scheduled for Wednesday

SMYRNA, Ga. (AP) — Police in suburban Atlanta say a body found inside of a walk-in beer cooler at the major league home of the Atlanta Braves belongs to a Minnesota man who was doing contract work at the stadium. Cobb County police on Wednesday identified him as 48-year-old Todd Keeling of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Authorities say Keeling had…

Justice Kennedy retiring; Trump gets 2nd Supreme Court pick

Kennedy has Serves More Than 30 Years on the Court

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement Wednesday, giving President Donald Trump the chance to cement conservative control of the high court. The 81-year-old Kennedy said in a statement he is stepping down after more than 30 years on the court. A Republican appointee, he has held the key vote on…

Political Newcomer Ocasio-Cortez Upsets Incumbent

She Faces Republican Anthony Pappas in Midterms

NEW YORK (AP) – The 28-year-old political newcomer who upset U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s Democrat primary says she brings an “urgency” to the fight for working families. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former organizer for Bernie Sanders, spoke Wednesday on the MSNBC “Morning Joe” show. Ocasio-Cortez says her father died when she was a teenager and her mother cleaned…

Supreme Court Deals big Setback to Labor Unions

The Court Ruled the Laws Violate the First Amendment

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers can’t be forced to contribute to labor unions that represent them in collective bargaining, dealing a serious financial blow to organized labor. The justices are scrapping a 41-year-old decision that had allowed states to require that public employees pay some fees to unions that represent…

Agitated Passenger Escorted off Plane in Minnesota

The Woman was not Charged

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) – An agitated passenger was escorted off a Spirit Airlines flight that landed in Rochester, Minnesota, for a medical emergency. Rochester Police Lt. Mike Sadauskis says the 38-year-old woman from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, was asked to leave the flight after it landed Monday morning. The incident started when the flight from Houston to Minneapolis was diverted to…

Child finds gun, fires shot inside Indiana Ikea store

no Arrests Were Immediately Made

(AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)FISHERS, Ind. (AP) — Police say a child fired a shot from a loaded handgun after finding it in a sofa at an Ikea store in suburban Indianapolis. Fishers police say no one was injured from the gunshot about 2 p.m. Monday at the furniture store along Interstate 69 just northeast of Indianapolis. Police Sgt. Tom Weger…

17 States sue Trump Administration Over Family Separations

A Seattle-Based Immigrant Rights Group Sued Monday

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SEATTLE (AP) — Seventeen states, including Washington, New York and California, sued President Donald Trump’s administration Tuesday in an effort to force officials to reunite migrant families who have been separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. The states, all of which are led by Democratic attorneys general, joined Washington, D.C., in filing the lawsuit in U.S. District Court…

Supreme Court Upholds Trump Travel ban

The 5-4 Decision was Made on Tuesday

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has upheld President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from several mostly Muslim countries, rejecting a challenge that it discriminated against Muslims or exceeded his authority. The 5-4 decision Tuesday is the court’s first substantive ruling on a Trump administration policy. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by his…

Starbucks to Accelerate Store Closings Next Year

Shares Have Slipped Nearly two Percent

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says it will accelerate its store closings in the U.S. next year as it tries to boost sluggish sales. The Seattle-based company announced Tuesday that it will close 150 under-performing stores in heavily penetrated markets, up from the usual rate of 50 closings a year. The company also said it expects 1 percent growth in…

The Northland Newborn Foundation Is Bouncing For Healthy Babies

The organization helps ease some of the financial burden with newborns.

DULUTH, Minn. – A new organization called the “Northland Newborn Foundation” is putting newborns first. Its purpose is to provide support for healthy babies and their families within the community. Although the Northland Newborn Foundation is fairly new it’s already making a name for itself. On any given day you can jump around at Planet 3 Extreme Air Park in…

Warming drives spread of toxic algae in US, researchers say

Cyanobacteria Thrive in Warm Still Bodies of Water

(Andy Morrison/The Blade via AP, File) SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The words blasted to cellphones around Oregon’s capital city were ominous: “Civil emergency . prepare for action.” Within half an hour, a second official alert clarified the subject wasn’t impending violence but toxins from an algae bloom, detected in Salem’s water supply. Across the U.S., reservoirs that supply drinking water…

Orlando International Airport to Scan Faces of US Citizens

The Face Scan Expansion is Costing the Orlando Airport Authority $4 Million

(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s busiest airport will be the first in the nation to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights, officials said Thursday, a move that pleases airport executives but worries privacy advocates. Officials at Orlando International Airport said the expansion of face scans would speed up the…

Instagram Unveils new Video Service in Challenge to YouTube

(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook’s Instagram service is loosening its restraints on video in an attempt to lure younger viewers away from YouTube when they’re looking for something to watch on their smartphones. The expansion announced Wednesday, dubbed IGTV, will increase Instagram’s video time limit from one minute to 10 minutes for most users. Accounts with large audiences…

Supreme Court Rules for States in Online Sales tax Case

The 5-4 Ruling is Seen as a win for States

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says states can force online shoppers to pay sales tax. The 5-4 ruling Thursday is a win for states, who said they were losing out on billions of dollars annually under two decades-old Supreme Court decisions that impacted online sales tax collection. The high court ruled Thursday to overturn those decisions. They had resulted…

Koko, the Gorilla who Knew Sign Language, Dies at 46

Koko was Born in the San Francisco Zoo

WOODSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Koko, the gorilla who mastered sign language, has died. The Gorilla Foundation says the 46-year-old western lowland gorilla died in her sleep at the foundation’s preserve in California’s Santa Cruz mountains on Tuesday. Koko was born at the San Francisco Zoo, and Dr. Francine Patterson began teaching the gorilla sign language that became part of a…

Homeland Security Drafts Plan to end Family Separation

it is Unclear if the President Will Sign it

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)WASHINGTON (AP) – Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is drafting an executive action for President Donald Trump that would direct DHS to keep families apprehended at the border together during detention. That’s according to two people familiar with her thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the effort before its official announcement. It’s unclear whether…

VA Launches Investigation Into Impaired Arkansas Pathologist

33,000 Cases are now Being Reviewed

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Federal officials say a pathologist fired from an Arkansas veterans hospital for being “impaired on duty” misdiagnosed seven cases and that around 33,000 additional cases are being reviewed. The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks said Monday one error may have led to a death. Spokeswoman Wanda Shull says seven errors were found among…

Report Says Over 1 Billion Small Arms in World, up From 2007

851 Million in Civilian Hands

(AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)UNITED NATIONS (AP) — There are over 1 billion firearms in the world today, including 857 million in civilian hands — with American men and women the dominant owners, according to a study released Monday. The Small Arms Survey says 393 million of the civilian-held firearms, 46 percent, are in the United States, which is “more than…

Americans Grapple With Recognizing Facts in News Stories: Pew Survey

(REUTERS/Carlo Allegri)NEW YORK (Reuters) – Only a quarter of U.S. adults in a recent survey could fully identify factual statements – as opposed to opinion – in news stories, the Pew Research Center found in a study released on Monday. The survey comes amid growing concerns about so-called fake news spread on the internet and social media. The term generally…

No definitive ruling on partisan districts

(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is resolving partisan redistricting cases from Wisconsin and Maryland without ruling on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party. The justices unanimously ruled against Wisconsin Democrats who challenged legislative districts that gave Republicans a huge edge in the state legislature….

American Spirit Free From Duluth Superior Harbor

DULUTH, Minn. – Coast Guard officials have confirmed the nearly 1,000 foot vessel floated free from the bottom of the harbor at roughly 10 p.m. last night. This happened because the water level rose in the harbor after torrential rains over the weekend. Around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon the vessel ran aground in the Duluth Superior Harbor. An examination…

Boy Tells Police That Driver Shot his Family in Road Rage run-in

one boy has Died From his Injuries

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski) DENVER (AP) — A 12-year-old boy told police he saw a driver open fire on his family during a road rage confrontation in Colorado, killing his older brother and critically wounding his mother and younger brother, authorities said Friday. Police arrested Jeremy Webster, 23, hours after the shooting that killed a 13-year-old boy and also wounded a…

Kellogg Recalls Honey Smacks Because of Salmonella Potential

Consumers Advised to Throw the Cereal Away

photo courtesy: CNNBATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) – The Kellogg Company is voluntarily recalling some of its Honey Smacks cereal after salmonella infected 73 people in 31 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most of the outbreaks were in California, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The recall affects 15.3-ounce packages with the UPS Code 3800039103 and 23-ounce packages…

Judge Jails ex-Trump Campaign Chair Manafort Ahead of Trial

Paul Manafort is Going to Jail

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is going to jail. Paul Manafort was ordered into custody Friday after a federal judge revoked his house arrest, citing newly filed obstruction of justice charges. The move by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson came after prosecutors accused Manafort and a longtime associate of witnesses tampering. Prosecutors say…

Riders Plunge 34 Feet, Others Hurt in Roller Coaster Derail

The Cause of the Incident is Still Unknown

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Authorities say two riders fell 34 feet to the ground when a roller coaster derailed and eight others had to be pulled to safety high above the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. Daytona Beach Fire spokeswoman Sasha Staton says the front car came off the tracks Thursday night, and two of its four passengers suffered traumatic injuries…

China Announces Equal Penalties to Retaliate for US Tariffs

China Said it Will Impose Penalties of “Equal Strength” on U.S.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong)BEIJING (AP) — China’s government responded quickly to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hike on Chinese goods by announcing Friday it will immediately impose penalties of “equal strength” on U.S. products. The Commerce Ministry said it also was scrapping deals to buy more American farm goods and other exports as part of efforts to defuse a sprawling dispute…

New York Attorney General Sues Trump Foundation

Schneiderman Ordered the Foundation to Stop Fundraising in New York

AP Photo/Evan Vucci/newsfileNEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s foundation served as a personal piggy bank for his businesses, legal bills and presidential campaign, New York’s attorney general said Wednesday as she sued the charity, Trump and three of his children. The Donald J. Trump Foundation “was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses…

Nevada Pimp Dennis Hof Wins GOP Primary, Ousts Incumbent

Owner of Legal Brothels Wins Republican Primary for State Legislature

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) LAS VEGAS (AP) — Pimp Dennis Hof, the owner of half a dozen legal brothels in Nevada and star of the HBO adult reality series “Cathouse,” won a Republican primary for the state Legislature on Tuesday, ousting a three-term lawmaker. Hof defeated hospital executive James Oscarson. He’ll face Democrat Lesia Romanov in November, and will be…

Judge Approves AT&T-Time Warner Merger

The $85 Billion Merge is one of the Biggest Media Deals Ever

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. District Judge Richard Leon said the government failed to meet its burden of proof in its antitrust suit against the AT&T-Time Warner merger. Leon said the government had “taken its best shot” to oppose the merger. But, he added, “the government’s evidence is too thin a reed for this court to rely on.”…

Police Sergeant Rescues Child From Busy Chicago Roadway

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A police sergeant is being honored for his quick actions in rescuing a young child from a busy roadway in suburban Chicago. The Naperville Police Department posted dashcam video of last month’s rescue by Sgt. Anthony Mannino on its Facebook page Monday. The department’s post says the child “escaped his mother’s watchful eye” and wandered along…

Sexual Harassment Seen as Threat to new Female Scientists

The Report Suggests Ways to Change the Culture in Universities

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new report is urging a culture change in U.S. colleges and universities that train scientists so women won’t be bullied out of the field. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says science should treat sexual harassment as seriously as research misconduct. Tuesday’s report cites one university system survey that found 20 percent of female…

Trump’s vow to end Military Drills With Seoul Stuns a Region

Trump Announced he was Halting U.S-South Korean Military Drills

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SINGAPORE (AP) — President Donald Trump rocked the region with the stunning announcement Tuesday that he was halting annual U.S.-South Korean military drills — and wants to remove the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in the South as a deterrent against North Korea. Trump’s surprise, almost offhand comments, made during a news conference after his summit with North…

US Launches bid to Find Citizenship Cheaters

Several Dozen Lawyers and Immigratoin Officers Have Been Hired

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)LOS ANGELES (AP) – The U.S. government agency that oversees immigration applications is launching an office that will focus on identifying Americans suspected of cheating to get their citizenship and seek to strip them of it. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director L. Francis Cissna told The Associated Press his agency is hiring several dozen lawyers and…

Hawaii Volcano Unleashes More Small Blasts, Snaking Lava

The Big Island Volcano has Been Erupting for More Than a Month

(U.S. Geological Survey via AP)HONOLULU (AP) – Small explosions at the summit of an erupting Hawaii volcano could send ash into communities. Scientists say the blasts happened Monday, including one after a magnitude-5.4 earthquake. Ash expelled from the Kilauea volcano may cause poor visibility and slippery conditions for drivers. The Big Island volcano has been erupting for more than a…

Your Internet use Could Change as ‘Net Neutrality’ Ends

The FCC Reversed its Stance and Proceeded to Kill net Neutrality

NEW YORK (AP) — Your ability to watch and use your favorite apps and services could start to change — though not right away — following the official demise Monday of Obama-era internet protections. Any changes are likely to happen slowly, as companies assess how much consumers will tolerate. The repeal of “net neutrality” took effect six months after the…

Starbucks Raising Price of a Brewed Coffee in Most US Stores

Lattes and Iced Coffees Remain Unchanged

NEW YORK (AP) – That Starbucks habit just got a little more expensive. Starbucks says it’s raising the price of a regular drip coffee by 10 cents to 20 cents this week in most U.S. stores. It says a small brewed coffee is now $1.95 to $2.15 in a majority of locations. The company said Thursday prices remain unchanged on…

Celebrity Chef Anthony Bourdain Found Dead in France at 61

His Death has Been Called a Suicide

(Photo by Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP, File)PARIS (AP) — American TV celebrity and food writer Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room Friday in France while working on his CNN series on culinary traditions around the world. He was 61. CNN confirmed the death, saying that Bourdain was found unresponsive Friday morning by friend and chef Eric Ripert in…

Bison Gores Woman in Yellowstone’s Third Recent Animal Attack

The Woman was Listed in Good Condition

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) – A bison has gored a woman for the third animal attack in Yellowstone National Park this week. Yellowstone officials say a crowd got too close to the bison Wednesday in the Lower Geyser Basin. The bison charged the crowd, goring 59-year-old Kim Hancock of Santa Rosa, California. Hancock was taken to a hospital with…

Germany’s Bayer Completes Purchase of Monsanto

The Deal Cost $63 Billion Including Debt

(AP photo/Markus Schreiber, archive)BERLIN (AP) – German pharmaceutical company Bayer AG says it has completed its purchase of U.S. seed and weed-killer maker Monsanto Co. Bayer said Thursday that it is now the sole owner of the company and Monsanto shares will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Bayer has put the cost of the deal at…

Kentucky District Where two Died Adds Officers, Bans Backpacks

Only Backpacks Made out of See-Through Material Will be Allowed

BENTON, Ky. (AP) – A Kentucky district where two students were killed and 21 others were hurt in a school shooting will add police officers, install metal detectors and ban backpacks at middle and high schools. News outlets report a district safety committee approved the measures Monday in response to the Jan. 23 shooting at Marshall County High School, where…

Military Base Calls Immigration Agents on Pizza Delivery man

ICE Spokeswoman Said Villavicencio Failed to Depart by July as Ordered

(Villavicencio Family Photo via AP)NEW YORK (AP) — He went from delivering pizza to being detained by immigration officers. An Ecuadorean restaurant worker making a delivery to an Army garrison in Brooklyn wound up being detained June 1 after a routine background check at the gate revealed there was a warrant for his arrest for immigration law violations, officials said….

The Heat is Back on High: May Smashes US Temperature Records

Six of the U.S. Monthly Record Highs Have Been set Since 2006

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig) WASHINGTON (AP) — Record heat returned to the United States with a vengeance in May. May warmed to a record average 65.4 degrees in the Lower 48 states, breaking the high of 64.7 set in 1934, according to federal weather figures released Wednesday. May was 5.2 degrees above the 20th century’s average for the month. Weather stations…

For Miss America, Goals, not Swimsuits

The Swimsuit Elimination Came Tuesday

Carlson, a former Miss America who is head of the organization’s board of trustees, made the announcement Tuesday, June 5, 2018, on “Good Morning America.” (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File)ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -The Miss America pageant says it is dropping the swimsuit competition in favor of an interactive session between judges and contestants. The group announced Tuesday it is…

Justices Side With Colorado Baker on Same-sex Wedding Cake

The Justices Voted 7-2 the Commission Violated Phillips’ First Amendment Rights

(AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled narrowly Monday for a Colorado baker who wouldn’t make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. But the court is not deciding the big issue in the case, whether a business can invoke religious objections to refuse service to gay and lesbian people. The justices’ limited ruling turned on what…

Apple set to Preview Updates for iPhones, Siri and More

Software Updates Should be Available in a few Months

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Apple is expected to preview new capabilities for its Siri digital assistant and showcase other upcoming software features. The peek at the new software will come Monday at a gathering in San Jose, California, for thousands of app developers and other computer programmers looking to create their own features that could in turn make iPhones,…

5 dead, nearly 200 sickened in romaine lettuce outbreak

Four More Deaths Linked to Food Poisoning Outbreak

NEW YORK (AP) — Four more deaths have been linked to a national food poisoning outbreak blamed on tainted lettuce, bringing the total to five. Health officials have tied the E. coli outbreak to romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Arizona. The growing season there ended six weeks ago, and it’s unlikely any tainted lettuce is still in stores or people’s…

Trump Says June 12 Summit With Kim Back on

Singapore Summit is Back on

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is back on for June 12. Trump says after an Oval Office meeting Friday with North Korea’s Kim Yong Chol that he’d be making a mistake not to go forward with the on-again, off-again nuclear summit in Singapore. Trump says his meeting…

Political Parties to Meet to Endorse for Minnesota Governor

Endorsing Conventions Will Begin Friday Afternoon

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Democratic and Republican activists are preparing to gather to answer one major question: Who will the two major parties endorse in the wide-open race for governor? Endorsing conventions were set to begin Friday afternoon, with Republicans meeting in Duluth and Democrats set to gather in Rochester. The parties will also endorse candidates for a pair…

US Gains 223K Jobs; Unemployment at 18-Year low of 3.8 pct.

Wage Gains Remain Below Typical Levels

(Jeff Morehead/The Chronicle-Tribune via AP, File)WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers extended a streak of solid hiring in May, adding 223,000 jobs and pushing the unemployment to an 18-year low of 3.8 percent. The Labor Department says average hourly pay rose 2.7 percent from a year earlier, a slightly faster annual rate than the previous month. But wage gains remain below…