New Orleans hosts its 1st full-dress Mardi Gras since 2020

People are out to party as New Orleans’ first full-dress Mardi Gras since 2020 dawns Tuesday, with a day of back-to-back parades through the city and masks against COVID-19 required only in indoor public spaces. Parade routes are shorter than usual, because there aren’t enough police for the standard ones, even with officers working 12-hour […]

Senators ask Biden to shield Ukrainians from deportation

A group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers asked President Biden on Monday to temporarily shield Ukrainians living in the U.S. from deportation, citing the dangerous conditions in Ukraine, which is under a large-scale Russian military attack. 42 senators — 40 Democrats and two Republicans — said the Biden administration should offer Ukrainians in the U.S. […]

Many non-Ukrainians flee Ukraine, their fates also uncertain

All day long, as trains and buses bring people fleeing Ukraine to the safety of Polish border towns, they carry not just Ukrainians fleeing a homeland under attack but large numbers of citizens of other countries who had made Ukraine their home and whose lives have also been upended. In Przemysl, a town near the […]

Russia pummels Ukraine’s No. 2 city, convoy nears Kyiv

Russian shelling pounded civilian targets in Ukraine’s second-largest city again on Tuesday, and a 40-mile convoy of tanks and other vehicles threatened the capital — tactics Ukraine’s embattled president said were designed to force him into concessions in Europe’s largest ground war in generations. With the Kremlin increasingly isolated by tough economic sanctions that have […]

Father shoots self after killing his 3 children, 1 other adult inside Sacramento church

Three teenagers were shot dead by their father along with a fourth person before the gunman took his own life at a church in the Arden Arcade area Monday afternoon, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Sgt. Rod Grassman confirmed there was a fifth person killed, but it is unclear if that person was also […]

Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa to start seeking doctor help

If there is no doctor in the house, Amazon’s Alexa will soon be able to summon one. Amazon and telemedicine provider Teladoc Health are starting a voice-activated virtual care program that lets customers get medical help without picking up their phones. The service, for health issues that aren’t emergencies, will be available around the clock […]

‘Crisis’: Climate panel flags Great Barrier Reef devastation

It was the silence of the sea that first rattled the teenage snorkeler, followed by a sense of horror as she saw the coral below had been drained of its kaleidoscopic color. This once-vibrant site on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef — a site she’d previously likened to a busy capital city — had become a […]

High court to weigh limits to EPA efforts on climate change

The Supreme Court is hearing a case its conservative majority could use to hobble Biden administration efforts to combat climate change. The administration already is dealing with congressional refusal to enact the climate change proposals in President Joe Biden’s Build Better Back plan. Now the justices, in arguments Monday, are taking up an appeal from […]

Derek Jeter announces surprise departure from Miami Marlins

Derek Jeter announced a surprise departure from the Miami Marlins on Monday after 4 1/2 mostly unsuccessful years that didn’t come close to matching his success as a player for the New York Yankees. Jeter became CEO of the Marlins in September 2017 when Bruce Sherman bought the team from Jeffrey Loria. A five-time World […]

Olympic body calls for Russia to be excluded from sports

In a sweeping move to isolate and condemn Russia after invading Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies on Monday to exclude the country’s athletes and officials from international events. The IOC said it was needed to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.” The decision […]