Interstate 95 in Connecticut has reopened. Authorities shut the highway down in both directions after a three-vehicle crash Thursday involving a gasoline tanker. The tanker burst into flames and damaged an overpass above I-95 in Norwalk. Workers began demolishing the bridge on Friday and worked to repave damaged parts of the roadway. Officials say all six lanes of I-95 reopened Sunday. The interstate serves as a major link between New England and New York. The closure left drivers jampacked bumper to bumper on some of the detour routes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced a $400 million increase in federal funding for security in houses of worship. Places like mosques and synagogues can apply to use the money to hire security personnel or install cameras. The new money adds to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. It's available to nonprofits to help protect their facilities from potential attacks. The boost in money comes as concerns rise over threats against Jewish and Muslim communities, fueled in part by the Israel-Hamas war. Читать дальше...
Students protesting the ongoing war in Gaza have left a pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Southern California after they were surrounded by police and told they might face arrest if they didn’t go. The move, days before commencement, came after the university said campus safety officers, assisted by the Los Angeles Police Department, were clearing the area and that anyone not complying would be arrested. The encampment had restarted after the LAPD first arrested 93 people on April 24. Читать дальше...
Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial is full of terms you don’t typically hear in a courtroom. The case centers on allegations that Trump falsified his company’s records to conceal the nature of hush money reimbursements. It's the first ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of Trump’s four indictments to go to trial. It also has some unique terminology. There's hush money and “catch and kill.” Other words and phrases included in a glossary of the trial are conspiracy, election interference... Читать дальше...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his government has voted unanimously to shutter the offices of the Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera in Israel. Netanyahu announced the decision on X on Sunday. Details on when it would go into effect or whether it was permanent or temporary were not immediately clear. The vote comes amid deeply strained ties between Israel and the channel, which have worsened during the war against Hamas. It also comes as Qatar is helping to broker a cease-fire agreement... Читать дальше...
The American refugee program long served as a haven for people fleeing violence around the world. Today, it's rebounding from dwindling arrivals under the Trump administration. President Joe Biden's administration has worked to streamline the process of screening and placing people in America, and resettlement agencies have opened more sites around the country. If Biden meets his target for arrivals, it would mark the most refugees that have come to the United States since 1992. Donald Trump has pledged that if he's elected president... Читать дальше...
Law enforcement authorities say a driver died after a vehicle crashed into a gate at the White House, but the fatal collision is being investigated “only as a traffic crash" and there was no threat to the president's residence. The U.S. Secret Service says the driver was found dead in the vehicle following the crash shortly before 10:30 p.m. Saturday at an outer perimeter gate of the White House complex. The Washington Metropolitan Police Department confirms the vehicle crashed into a security barrier... Читать дальше...
Since Florida enacted a six-week abortion ban, clinics in several other Southern and mid-Atlantic states have sprung into action. They know women impacted by the Florida change last week will look to them for services no longer available where they live. In North Carolina, health care clinics are rushing to expand availability and decrease wait times. Their reaction is part of a growing trend in the U.S. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, more than 20 states have adopted laws banning or severely limiting abortions. Читать дальше...
They’re hallmarks of American history: protests, rallies, sit-ins, marches, disruptions. They date from the early days of what would become the United States to the sights and sounds currently echoing across the landscapes of the nation’s colleges and universities. Just as much a part of that American history are those same events being met with irritation, condemnation, anger and force. Americans cherish the right to assemble and speak out. It’s enshrined in the first of the constitutional amendments. Читать дальше...
From marches and art exhibitions to candlelight vigils, people are gathering across the U.S. to spotlight the high rate of disappearances and killings in Native American communities. Sunday marks Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, with more events planned over the coming days. This year, the federal government is touting the hiring of special prosecutors and coordinators who are addressing systemic issues that have made tackling the crisis a generational challenge. Communication... Читать дальше...
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston following heavy rains that have resulted in crews rescuing more than 400 people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water. Others have prepared to evacuate their properties as a flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon with forecasters predicting additional rain. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says 178 people and 122 pets have been rescued so far in the county. She says the area is expecting more rain on Sunday, which could be problematic. Читать дальше...
Madonna has put on a free concert in Rio de Janeiro, turning the vast stretch of sand of Copacabana beach into an enormous dance floor teeming with a multitude of her fans. The performance Saturday night was the last show of The Celebration Tour, her first retrospective, which kicked off in October in London. The “Queen of Pop” began the performance with her 1998 hit “Nothing Really Matters.” Madonna welcomed the cheering crowd by telling them: “Here we are in the most beautiful place in the world." Pointing out the ocean view... Читать дальше...
Attorneys for a New Hampshire man who prevailed in a landmark lawsuit over abuse at a state-run youth detention center are asking for a hearing after the jury foreperson expressed dismay that the $38 million award could be slashed to $475,000. Jurors on Friday awarded $38 million to David Meehan, who alleged that the state’s negligence allowed him to be repeatedly raped and beaten at the Youth Development Center in Manchester. But the state said the award would be reduced under a law that caps damages... Читать дальше...
Dick Rutan, along with copilot Jeana Yeager, completed one of the greatest milestones in aviation history: the first round-the-world flight with no stops or refueling. A decorated Vietnam War pilot, Rutan died Friday evening at a hospital in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was 85. His friend Bill Whittle says he died on his own terms, declining a second night of oxygen after suffering a severe lung infection. “He played an airplane like someone plays a grand piano,” said Burt Rutan of his brother, who was... Читать дальше...
Shareholder proposals are usually uneventful at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, but Warren Buffett and the company are now facing a lawsuit over the way one presenter was treated last year. Peter Flaherty with the National Legal and Policy Center came back with another proposal this year asking Berkshire to produce a report on the risk of doing business in China after he was cut off in the middle of his presentation last year and arrested for trespassing. The charges were later dropped, but Flaherty decided to sue. Читать дальше...