AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A wealthy attorney who came close to being elected governor of Maine has been disbarred following the completion of his sentence for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse. A judge on Monday signed off on the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar recommendation against 77-year-old Eliot Cutler. Cutler
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s total population has declined for the 15th straight year. That’s according to government data released Thursday. The population dropped by more than a half-million people as the population ages and births remain low. Births in Japan hit a record low last year, and deaths were a record high. Japan’s
Continue ReadingBy Holmes Lybrand, Hannah Rabinowitz and Devan Cole, CNN (CNN) — Donald Trump’s would-be assassin searched for details of the John F. Kennedy shooting from his laptop and flew a drone in the area near the rally just two hours before the former president took the stage, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday. The stunning
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a frenzied knife attack in western New York was motivated by a Hezbollah leader’s endorsement of a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death, prosecutors said Wednesday in announcing new terrorism charges. The three-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo
Continue ReadingPARIS (AP) — Three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain repeatedly whipped a horse while coaching another rider in a video that was published by multiple media outlets Wednesday. The video is part of an official complaint filed against Dujardin with the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, or FEI. It shows Dujardin repeatedly striking
Continue ReadingANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Disney has reached a tentative agreement with four unions representing thousands of workers at its California theme parks, including ride operators, candy makers and parking attendants. The coalition of unions said early Wednesday that its 14,000 workers will get to vote on the deal on Monday. No other details were immediately
Continue ReadingAssociated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — France’s air force has made a stopover in Indonesia’s capital, part of a visit to Southeast Asia that’s meant to display French commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing Chinese maritime activity there. The French mission, named Pegase, is on a weeks-long trip that also included stops
Continue ReadingBy Nicki Brown, CNN (CNN) — The man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie was charged with three federal terrorism-related counts, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed Wednesday. Hadi Matar is charged with committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing material support to terrorists. He pleaded
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Comic-Con International, the comic book and pop culture extravaganza, is kicking off in San Diego. The convention, which draws over 130,000 fans annually, opens for a preview night Wednesday and runs through Sunday. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes disrupting past years of the convention either through
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Comic-Con International, the comic book and pop culture extravaganza, is kicking off in San Diego. The convention, which draws over 130,000 fans annually, opens for a preview night Wednesday and runs through Sunday. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hollywood strikes disrupting past years of the convention either through
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Winter Olympics will make its grand return to Salt Lake City in 2034. The decision Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee marks the success of Utah’s decadeslong effort to preserve Olympic venues and retain public enthusiasm. Local leaders have had their sights set on hosting again since
Continue ReadingBERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is confident of turning around his struggling center-left party’s fortunes and will run for a second term as Germany’s leader in an election expected next year. He dismissed a suggestion that he could emulate U.S. President Joe Biden and make way for someone else. Scholz’s governing coalition,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Since the United Arab Emirates witnessed its heaviest recorded rainfall ever three months ago, the desert nation has issued a multitude of warnings about dengue. Activists say the illness has struck hardest among the country’s vast population of laborers. The tropical disease, spread by mosquitos, has witnessed
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A local family was forced out of their home after an early morning fire in Indio. Firefighters got the call at 1:49 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters were able to contain the flames about a half hour after arriving on scene. Everyone made it out of the home okay. A family member who does not live at the home told
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PARIS (AP) — French authorities have foiled several plots to disrupt the 2024 Olympics, including arresting a Russian man in one of them, officials said Wednesday, just days before the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris. France has been on high alert over the past few weeks as preparations to host
Continue ReadingAssociated Press When helping others, volunteers also help themselves. They might even live longer. Jacquelyn Stephens is a psychologist at the nonprofit Mather Institute who researches how to age well. She says volunteering builds social connections and provides a sense of purpose that bolsters mental health in retirement. And psychology professor Eric S. Kim says
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Volunteering helps others out, but it also helps the volunteer. Research has shown a variety of health benefits including more positive feelings and social connections. How do you find a volunteer activity that’s a good fit for you? First, think about what your goals, skills and passions are. Are you looking to find
Continue ReadingAP Film Writer After years of trying and many months of feverish speculation “Deadpool & Wolverine” is here at least. The movie opens in theaters nationwide Thursday and is poised to earn at least $160 million in ticket sales. Filmmaker Shawn Levy, a friend of stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has been blown away
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — The United Nations’ cultural agency rejected recommendations Wednesday to place Stonehenge on the list of endangered world heritage sites over concerns that Britain’s plans to build a nearby highway tunnel threaten the landscape around the prehistoric monument. UNESCO experts had recommended listing the stone circle on a plain in southern
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PANAMA CITY (AP) — Ten migrants have drowned trying to cross a rushing river in Panama’s Darien Gap that borders Colombia. Panama’s National Border Service said in a statement Wednesday that the victims were swept away by a strong current and their bodies were later seen near the Indigenous community of Carreto. An
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