Starbucks raising US workers' pay as union effort looms
Starbucks said Wednesday it is raising its U.S. employees’ pay and making other changes to improve working conditions in its stores.
California virus cases stop falling, governor urges caution
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled up his sleeve Wednesday and received a coronavirus vaccine booster shot, a move he encouraged others to take as the state heads into the time of year that in 2020 ushered in the deadliest spike of COVID-19 cases.
Ex-NYT columnist Kristof announces run for Oregon governor
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Former New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof announced his candidacy Wednesday for Oregon governor, saying the state needs a political newbie to solve problems like homelessness and rural despair.
France threatens to block British fishing boats from ports
PARIS (AP) — France announced Wednesday that it will bar British fishing boats from some French ports starting next week if no deal is reached with the U.K. in a dispute over fishing licenses — and suggested it may restrict energy supplies to the Channel Islands as well.
She asked to bring oxygen to work -- they fired her instead
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — A woman who was fired after asking to bring an oxygen tank to work to help her breathe will get $25,000 in a federal settlement.
Sheriff: Movie set showed 'some complacency' with weapons
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Investigators said Wednesday that there was “some complacency” in how weapons were handled on the movie set where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer and wounded another person, but it's too soon to determine whether charges will be filed.
Federal jury: Immigrant detainees are owed minimum wage
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal jury has determined that The GEO Group must pay minimum wage — rather than $1 a day — to immigration detainees who perform tasks like cooking and cleaning at its for-profit detention center in Washington state.
Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early COVID-19
A cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19 in a study hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus.
Flouting White House, Florida penalizes school districts
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The state of Florida has withheld funding from two school districts over their coronavirus mask mandates, flouting threats from White House officials who warned that such penalties would violate federal law.
New Orleans drops mask mandate as coronavirus numbers fall
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans is largely ending a mandate requiring residents and visitors wear masks indoors as infections of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus continue to fall, the city's mayor announced Wednesday.
Which Cleveland Guardians? Roller derby team sues MLB team
CLEVELAND (AP) — A roller derby team that has called itself the Cleveland Guardians since 2013 sued the city's Major League Baseball team in federal court in Cleveland on Wednesday alleging that the switch from Indians to Guardians infringes on its trademark.
Man charged with murder in death of Illinois police officer
PONTOON BEACH, Ill. (AP) — A southern Illinois man was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a police officer at a gas station.
Jury selected for civil trial over Charlottesville rally
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — A jury has been seated in a civil trial to determine whether white nationalists who planned the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, will be held responsible for the violence that erupted.
Bill would remove 'conscience' as basis for refusing vaccine
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois law has for more than four decades protected those who oppose providing or receiving medical treatment because of their religious beliefs. Now Democrats want an exception to allow repercussions for those who refuse vaccinations in the battle against COVID-19.
Federal appeals court temporarily halts Oklahoma executions
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court granted stays of execution on Wednesday for two Oklahoma inmates who were scheduled to receive lethal injections in the coming weeks.
Painting of Yale namesake and enslaved child back on display
An early 18th-century painting depicting Yale University's namesake with an enslaved Black child has been returned to public display at one of its museums even as art experts investigate its origins and campus discussions about the school's ties to slavery continue.
