One of Iraq’s most influential Shiite clerics dies at 85
BAGHDAD (AP) — Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Saeed al-Hakim, one of Iraq’s most senior and influential Muslim Shiite clerics, has died of a heart attack, members of his family said. He was 85.
South Dakota Gov. Noem runs $9,000 bill for custom desk
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's order for a customized, personal desk from a state prison work program will cost nearly $9,000 after modifications such as brass embossing, a gun drawer with leather inserts and a
Alberta announces $100 gift card incentive to get holdouts vaccinated as cases surge
EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney, two months after declaring victory over COVID-19, is offering $100 to Albertans who aren't vaccinated to try to curb nation-leading cases of the illness that have again pushed the province's hospitals to the brink. Kenn...
Hawaii health care workers decry lack of COVID mandates
HONOLULU (AP) — Health care workers in Hawaii say a lack of government action is worsening an already crippling surge of coronavirus cases in the islands, and without effective policy changes the state’s limited hospitals could face a grim crisis.
UK’s vaccine assessor opts against COVID jabs for children
LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s vaccine advisors declined Friday to recommend the vaccination of healthy older children against COVID-19, saying the direct health benefits are “marginal.” However, the British government said it may join others around the worl...
Searches, sorrow in wake of Ida’s destructive, deadly floods
ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) — Police went door to door in search of more possible victims and drew up lists of the missing as the death toll rose to 49 on Friday in the catastrophic flooding set off across the Northeast
Afghan evacuation raises concerns about child trafficking
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are looking into reports that in the frantic evacuation of desperate Afghans from Kabul, older men were admitted together with young girls they claimed as “brides” or otherwise sexually abused.
Canada could see above 15K daily COVID-19 cases next month, Tam says
OTTAWA — Canada's chief public health officer says there is an urgent need for more people between 18 and 39 to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to reduce the impact of the Delta variant. "This is a crucial moment," Dr. Theresa Tam
Parents of disabled kids sue over Iowa ban on mask mandates
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A group of parents of disabled students filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to strike down Iowa's law banning schools from requiring masks, arguing it endangers their health and denies equal access to education.
EXPLAINER: Mexico confronts complex position on immigration
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico has faced immigration pressures from the north, south and within its own borders in recent weeks, putting it in an increasingly difficult position.