NASA fuels moon rocket in test, hit again with pesky leaks

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s new moon rocket sprouted more fuel leaks Wednesday in a test ahead of a possible launch attempt next week, but engineers managed to get them down to acceptable levels. There was no immediate decision on whether NASA would try for a liftoff Tuesday given the sporadic nature of the hydrogen … Read more

Marker in tiny Missouri hamlet denotes US population center

HARTVILLE, Mo. – It’s not every day that a small hamlet in the Missouri Ozarks is in the middle of everything, but that was the case for tiny Wright County on Wednesday as officials from the nation’s capital unveiled a marker designating a spot there as the center of population in the United States. Dignitaries … Read more

Russian separatists release 10, including 2 US veterans

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two U.S. military veterans who disappeared three months ago while fighting Russia with Ukrainian forces were among 10 prisoners, including five British nationals, released by Russian-backed separatists as part of a prisoner exchange mediated by Saudi Arabia, officials said Wednesday. Alex Drueke, 40, and Andy Huynh, 27, went missing in the Kharkiv … Read more

GLIMPSES: At United Nations, boats safeguard current affairs

TANZANIA – This week, the United Nations is the world’s premier venue for current events — which, one could say, is the forte of the U.S. Coast Guard. So naturally the military branch’s boats are a familiar presence during the U.N. General Assembly, guarding the aquatic border of the United Nations alongside New York City … Read more

‘Captain America’ fixes hurricane hit roofs in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – Actor Anthony Mackie was not carrying his Captain America shield when he returned to his hometown of New Orleans to help repair hurricane-damaged roofs but for people in his old neighborhood knowing their tarp-covered roofs were getting repaired was a blockbuster hit. Mackie is working with GAF, one of the country’s leading … Read more

Officer convicted of manslaughter in Black motorist’s death

PHILADELPHIA – A white Philadelphia police officer was convicted Wednesday of voluntary manslaughter and a weapons charge in the fatal shooting of an unarmed Black motorist shot six seconds after the officer arrived on the scene. Officer Eric Ruch Jr. told jurors he feared for his life when he fired at Dennis Plowden Jr. as … Read more