Authorities say a house explosion in New Hampshire has left one person dead and a second person injured. Derry Fire Chief Shawn Haggart says his department received reports of an explosion Thursday morning. Firefighters who responded found a house fully engulfed in flames. One person in the house was killed. Another person was taken to a hospital for their injuries. Haggart said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He says more details will be released later Thursday. He also had no information about the victims.
A doctor from De Pere becomes the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. Kristin Lyerly entered the race Thursday for the open seat created after the surprise retirement of Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher. She launches her candidacy two weeks before Gallagher plans to step down. There will be no special election because of the timing of his resignation. Lyerly is unopposed in the Democratic primary to be decided Aug. 13. Democrats fielded no candidate in the 2022 election. Читать дальше...
The No Labels group says it won't field a presidential candidate in November after strategists for the bipartisan organization were unable to attract a candidate willing to seize on the widespread dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. No Labels CEO Nancy Jacobson said in a statement Thursday that “the responsible course of action is for us to stand down.” The decision further cements a general election rematch between the Democratic incumbent and the former president. Many voters... Читать дальше...
Federal officials are investigating whether a Southwest Airlines flight veered off course and flew over the air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport last month. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the plane flew off course due to bad weather as it came in for landing. It diverted to Baltimore, where the plane landed safely. The FAA says it's investigating and will determine if the Southwest plane flew over the tower at LaGuardia.
Alaska Airlines says Boeing has paid $160 million in initial compensation for losses that the airline suffered after a panel blew off one of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners in January. The airline said Thursday that it expects more compensation, but it didn't say how much. The initial payment covers Alaska’s first-quarter pretax loss related to the accident. Alaska says some passengers avoided the airline after the blowout. And the airline had to spend money to return its Max 9s to service after they... Читать дальше...
Oklahoma has executed a death row inmate who was convicted of shooting and killing two people in Oklahoma City more than two decades ago. Michael Dewayne Smith received a lethal injection on Thursday at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He was pronounced dead at 10:20 a.m. The 41-year-old was sentenced to die for killing Janet Moore and Sharath Pulluru in separate shootings in February 2002. During a clemency hearing last month, Smith expressed his “deepest sorrows” to the victims’ families, but denied he was responsible. Читать дальше...
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has undergone a minor elective knee surgery for a tennis injury he sustained about two years ago. His office says the procedure was to address a meniscus tear and the Thursday morning surgery lasted less than 30 minutes. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette temporarily acted as governor during the surgery. The South Carolina Constitution stipulates that the lieutenant governor is in charge of the state's executive office if the governor is temporarily disabled. McMaster is the... Читать дальше...
From the start, WrestleMania was born to be different. Mr. T and Muhammad Ali helped pack Madison Square Garden in 1985, and “The Showcase of the Immortals” quickly turned a night of wrestling usually reserved for smoky arenas into the Super Bowl of entertainment. As WrestleMania approaches 40, it’s never been bigger. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is back to perform in one of the main events this weekend's WrestleMania in Philadelphia, where more than 70,000 fans each night are expected to pack the NFL stadium that is home to the Eagles.
Daily lives are noisier than ever, and many travelers are seeking relief in silence. Or as close as they can get to it. Quiet travel is a trend, from serene nature retreats to silent walking, or maybe just the soothing soundtracks of nature on your headphones. For many people, quiet travel can be a shift toward introspection. It's about a deeper connection with where we are both literally and figuratively. You might even feel healthier. Some retreats pull you into wild places to listen to nature. Читать дальше...
Eighth-grader at South Glens Falls leans on advice from area youngsters who preceded her at competition.
Powered by big stadium tours from artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, ticket sales are booming and it appears likely that live acts will continue to draw massive crowds this year after the pandemic closed down concert venues globally for close to two years. Concert and event producer Live Nation confirmed this week what data has been showing for more than a year: With COVID largely in the rearview mirror, millions are seeking entertainment away from home and they’re willing to spend a lot of money to do it. Читать дальше...
President Joe Biden says a new rule making it harder to fire thousands of federal employees is a “step toward combatting corruption and partisan interference." Advocates hope the rule will head off former President Donald Trump’s promises to radically remake the federal workforce along ideological lines if the Republican wins back the White House. The Office of Personnel Management rule will bar career civil servants from being reclassified as at-will workers who are more easily dismissed. Trump... Читать дальше...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $20 billion in grants for clean energy projects combating climate change, including residential heat pumps, electric vehicle charging stations and community cooling centers. The funds come from two programs that are part of the “green bank” created in the Biden administration’s landmark climate law passed in 2022. Formally known as the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the bank is part of federal efforts to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Читать дальше...
Monday's total solar eclipse might become one of the year's most filmed and photographed events. As the moon passes in front of the sun, plunging a swath of North America into a few minutes of darkness, throngs will take pictures or videos of the moment. But powerful solar rays and drastic changes in lighting pose unique challenges in catching that perfect image. To find the best place to capture the eclipse, use online maps. To help plan your shot, there are smartphone apps that show how close you are to the path of totality... Читать дальше...
Asian shares are mostly higher after a firm finish on Wall Street, as expectations remained solid for U.S. interest rate cuts this year. Benchmarks rose Thursday in Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney. Oil prices rose. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 inched up by 0.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after a report said growth for U.S. services businesses cooled last month. That could keep the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates several times this year.
Plans are underway to airlift a stranded killer whale calf out of a remote tidal lagoon off Canada's northern Vancouver Island in an effort to reunite the young orca with its extended family. Canadian Fisheries Department and First Nations officials say the plan involves placing the 2-year-old calf into a sling, lifting it out of the lagoon by helicopter and putting it in a net pen in the ocean while they wait for its family pod to be near before releasing the whale. Rescuers have been unable to... Читать дальше...
Top Republican lawmakers and the Democratic governor in Kansas have brokered a deal on cutting taxes. GOP leaders gave up on moving the state to a single-rate personal income tax that the governor strongly opposed. The Kansas House and Senate expected to vote on the compromise package Thursday or Friday, and Gov. Laura Kelly was expected to sign it if it reached her desk. The plan would save taxpayers about $1.4 billion over the next three years, but it is smaller than separate plans approved last month by each chamber. Читать дальше...
The United States and its Western allies are feuding with Russia over its diamond production, but they joined forces to keep supporting the Kimberley Process, which aims to eliminate the trade in “blood diamonds” that helped fuel devastating conflicts in Africa. At a U.N. General Assembly meeting on Wednesday, its 193 member nations adopted a resolution by consensus recognizing that the Kimberley Process, which certifies rough diamond exports, “contributes to the prevention of conflicts fueled by... Читать дальше...
Federal prosecutors have plenty of stern words to say about 87-year-old British billionaire Joe Lewis's insider trading. But they also agree that his age, medical issues and willingness to come to the U.S. to face criminal charges have earned him leniency. Lewis faces sentencing Thursday. He pleaded guilty in January to insider trading and conspiracy charges, saying his crimes had left him feeling embarrassed. From the start, he was no ordinary defendant. After his arrest last year, he was freed... Читать дальше...
The Wisconsin Senate race between Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Republican Eric Hovde is setting up to be one of the most competitive and expensive Senate races in the country. A Baldwin victory is crucial for Democrats who are defending 23 seats in the Senate. Baldwin is emphasizing her deep ties to Wisconsin, forged over nearly 40 years in elected office, and her ability to fight for issues that resonate deeply in the state, like supporting the dairy industry. Hovde argues that Baldwin is nothing... Читать дальше...
A New York prosecutor is investigating a slew of abuse complaints made after Netflix started streaming a scathing documentary on the Academy at Ivy Ridge. “The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping” depicts the now-closed boarding academy in rural northern New York as an oppressive institution. The series features former students describing physical, psychological and sexual abuse by staff. St. Lawrence County's district attorney says many of the new complaints make similar allegations. State officials... Читать дальше...
Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies are meeting in the scenic Laotian city of Luang Prabang to discuss ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. The need for faster progress was dramatically apparent as the city and surrounding region were engulfed in heavy smoke from fires — some set to clear forests for crops, some ignited by record high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions. Читать дальше...
Taiwan was struck Wednesday by its most powerful earthquake in a quarter of a century. At least nine people were killed and hundreds injured, buildings and highways damaged and train service interrupted. Taiwan is no stranger to powerful earthquakes yet their toll on the high-tech island’s 23 million residents has been relatively contained thanks to its excellent earthquake preparedness. Taiwan lies along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
Idaho lawmakers have passed a series of bills targeting LGBTQ+ residents this year, including two this week that redefine gender as being synonymous with sex and prevent public employees from being required to use someone’s preferred pronouns. KTVB-TV reports that in response, protesters on Tuesday sent more than 48,000 colorful paper hearts raining down from the fourth floor of the Statehouse to the first-floor rotunda. The hearts symbolize the 48,000 Idaho residents who identified as LGBTQ+ in the 2020 census. Читать дальше...
An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot meant to help small business owners in New York City has come under fire for dispensing bizarre advice that misstates local policies and advises companies to violate the law. Mayor Eric Adams acknowledged Tuesday that its answers were “wrong in some areas,” but the chatbot powered by Microsoft remains online. The company says it is working with city employees to improve the service. The chatbot has made false suggestions such as it being OK for restaurants to serve cheese nibbled on by rodents. Читать дальше...