USA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A wounded man arrested in connection with a Sacramento shooting that killed six people and injured a dozen more had been released from prison weeks earlier and was rejected for even earlier release after prosecutors argued he “clearly has little regard for human life,” documents show.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As gruesome videos and photos of bodies emerge from the Kyiv suburb of Bucha, Kremlin-backed media are denouncing them as an elaborate hoax — a narrative that journalists in Ukraine have shown to be false.

Denouncing news as fake or spreading false reports to sow confusion and undermine its adversaries are tactics that Moscow has used for years and refined with the advent of social media in places like Syria.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyiv was a Russian defeat for the ages. The fight started poorly for the invaders and went downhill from there.

When President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Feb. 24 after months of buildup on Ukraine’s borders, he sent hundreds of helicopter-borne commandos — the best of the best of Russia’s “spetsnaz” special forces soldiers — to assault and seize a lightly defended airfield on Kyiv’s doorstep.

UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Reuters) - China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun warned on Tuesday against measures that could fuel a crisis like the Ukraine conflict in other parts of the world when asked about a deal between Britain, the United States and Australia to cooperate on hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities.

WASHINGTON, April 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. senators voted on Monday to send the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve in the Supreme Court for floor debate and votes.

Three Republicans joined Democrats for a 53-47 vote to discharge Jackson's nomination to the full Senate after the Judiciary Committee deadlocked in their voting.

It was reportedly the first time the Senate had had to take the procedural step for a Supreme Court nominee since 1853.

UNITED NATIONS, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Responding to the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that unless governments worldwide reassess their energy policies, the world will be unlivable.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. airport security procedures will become more gender-neutral, with changes to scanners used for screening and the use of an “X” for travelers going through Precheck who do not identify as male or female, the Biden administration said Thursday.

Transportation Security Administration officers will also receive new instructions on screening intended to make procedures less invasive, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into electric and hybrid vehicle batteries after five automakers issued recalls due to possible defects that could cause fires or stalling.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the probe covers more than 138,000 vehicles with batteries made by LG Energy Solution of South Korea.

General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Stellantis and Volkswagen have issued recalls since February of 2020, most due to internal battery failures that can increase the risk of fires.

NEW YORK (AP) — A group of financial donors committed to racial equity plans to announce Tuesday that it has secured at least $100 million annually to benefit minority groups that are disproportionately harmed by extreme weather events.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States, United Kingdom and Australia plan to work together via the recently created security alliance known as AUKUS to develop hypersonic missiles, according to a Biden administration official. An announcement could come as soon as Tuesday.

The move comes amid growing concern by the U.S. and allies about China’s growing military assertiveness in the Pacific. The U.S. official was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans.