New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market
BEIJING (AP) — Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, suggesting the pandemic may have originated from animals, not a lab, international experts say.
Stocks fall to cap chaotic week driven by fears about banks
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell Friday to end a whipsaw week on Wall Street amid rising fear among investors that turmoil in the banking industry could drag the economy into a recession.
African land snails found in luggage at Michigan airport
ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) — Six giant African land snails have been found in the luggage of a traveler who flew to Michigan from the west African country of Ghana.
St. Patrick’s Day rites: Parades, bagpipes, clinking pints
Oh, Danny boy, ‘tis the time of year when Irish bagpipes are calling in the concrete glens of New York City, across the swooning boughs of Savannah, Georgia, and in the halls of the White House as the U.S. celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with parades, pub crawls and a state visit.
EPA tells states not to block waste from Ohio derailment
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday ordered states to stop blocking contaminated waste from a fiery train derailment in Ohio from being sent to hazardous waste storage sites around the nation.
Mexican president: lack of hugs caused US fentanyl crisis
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president said Friday that U.S. families were to blame for the fentanyl overdose crisis because they don’t hug their kids enough.
International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin
THE HAGUE (AP) — The International Criminal Court said on Friday it issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.
Russia to award pilots involved in US drone incident
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian fighter pilots involved in an incident with a U.S. drone that resulted in its crash will be given state awards, the Defense Ministry announced Friday, The move appears to signal Moscow’s intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future U.S. surveillance flights.
Slovakia, after Poland, agrees to give Ukraine Soviet jets
PRAGUE (AP) — Slovakia’s government on Friday approved a plan to give Ukraine its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, becoming the second NATO member country to heed the Ukrainian government’s pleas for warplanes to help defend against Russia’s invasion.
Supreme Court remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion for women’s rights whose death ahead of the 2020 election allowed the Supreme Court to become more conservative, will be remembered during ceremonies Friday at the high court.
