BAGHDAD — Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said. In an interview with...
Mass Shootings Transform How America Talks, Prays, Prepares
CHICAGO — Pardeep Singh Kaleka has surveyed the landscape of an America scarred by mass shootings. Seven years ago, a white supremacist invaded a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and killed six worshippers — among them Kaleka's father, who died clutching a butter knife he'd grabbed in a desperate attempt to...
Saudi Arabia Says 2 Oil Tankers Damaged by Sabotage Attacks
FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates — Two Saudi oil tankers and a Norwegian-flagged vessel were damaged in what Gulf officials described Monday as a "sabotage" attack off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. While details of the incident remain unclear, it raised risks for shippers in a region vital to...
US Dispatches Aircraft Carrier Over Unspecified Iran Threats
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is dispatching an aircraft carrier and other military resources to the Middle East following "clear indications" that Iran and its proxy forces were preparing to possibly attack U.S. forces in the region, a defense official told The Associated Press. At the White House, national security adviser...
Backlash, Questions Follow Dismissal of Jussie Smollett Case
CHICAGO — Prosecutors still insist Jussie Smollett faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in the hopes that the attention would advance his acting career. The "Empire" star still says he was assaulted by two men late at night in downtown Chicago. But with little explanation, authorities on Tuesday abruptly...
Mosque Shootings Kill 49. White Racist Claims Responsibility.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — At least 49 people were killed in mass shootings at two mosques full of worshippers attending Friday prayers in an attack broadcast in horrifying, live video by an immigrant-hating white supremacist wielding at least two assault rifles and a shotgun. One man was arrested and charged...
Jussie Smollett Pleads Not Guilty to Lying About Attack
CHICAGO — "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges accusing him of lying to the police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago a few weeks ago. Lawyer Tina Glandian entered the plea on behalf of the 36-year-old actor during a hearing in...
Decorated Transgender Troops to Testify Before Congress
SAN DIEGO — Lindsey Muller served in the Army as a man for nearly a decade before telling her commanders in 2014 that she identified as a woman and would resign because military policy barred transgender personnel. Her superiors, citing her outstanding performance, urged the decorated attack helicopter pilot to...
Chicago's Vast Camera Network Helped Smollett Investigation
CHICAGO — Police tapped into Chicago's vast network of surveillance cameras — and even some homeowners' doorbell cameras — to track down two brothers who later claimed they were paid by "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to stage an attack on him, the latest example of the city's high-tech approach to...
'Empire' Producers Cut Smollett From Season's Last Episodes
CHICAGO — Actor Jussie Smollett's character on "Empire" will be removed from the final two episodes of this season in the wake of his arrest on charges that he staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself last month in downtown Chicago, producers of the Fox TV show announced Friday. The...