Author: Leslie Stewart

Ebola outbreaks have spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, killing more than 40 people and leaving governments and international aid agencies struggling to respond to the outbreak.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The current Ebola strain, Bundibugyo virus, is a “severe and often fatal form,” according to the World Health Organization. There are no approved treatments or vaccines.The World Health Organization and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 43 confirmed deaths in each country as of Saturday, including 42 in Congo and one in Uganda,…

For the eighth consecutive year, the NBA will have a new champion.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.On Saturday, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder lost to San Antonio 111-103 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, extending the longest consecutive season streak in NBA history.Victor Wembaneyama contributed to San Antonio’s victory with a team-high 22 points and seven rebounds. San Antonio will face the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. This is a rematch from 27 years ago, when the two teams faced each other in the 1999…

Three climbers on Alaska’s Mount McKinley have died after falling near a dangerous pass on North America’s highest peak, a Latvian mountaineering group said Friday. A fourth climber was rescued.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The group said the four were members of a Latvian mountaineering expedition. The National Park Service said Wednesday’s fall was part of a seven-person team traversing the route, which is known for its exposed stretches and has been the site of numerous injuries and deaths over the years.Mount McKinley is approximately 20,310 feet above sea level,…

President Donald Trump is in “excellent health,” the White House physician said Friday in a memo released by the administration after the president’s visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, his third in-person medical examination in 13 months.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The president’s personal physician, Dr. Sean Barbavera, said in a memo that he is “fully qualified to carry out all of the duties of commander-in-chief.”The memo said Trump underwent a series of tests that tested his heart function, eye health and lung function. The results were generally…

Americans spent nearly $450 more per household on increased energy costs during the Iran war, according to an analysis shared exclusively with CNBC’s Steve Reisman.The average household has spent $447.19 in additional fuel-related costs since the conflict began on February 28, according to data from Moody’s Analytics. Rising gas and airfare prices have cost U.S. consumers nearly $60 billion in cumulative losses.Moody’s data estimates in dollar equivalents some of the economic pain Americans are feeling as the war reaches its third month. Rising energy costs could force consumers to dip into their savings and rely more on debt to cover…

A roller coaster in Texas stopped mid-ascent Thursday night, leaving eight passengers stranded nearly 100 feet in the air. Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The Iron Shark roller coaster at Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier stopped midway, leaving passengers stranded on the slope for several hours.Video from passengers inside the vehicle shows them sitting in two rows of four, facing the sky, just before they reach the top of the vehicle.According to NBC affiliate KPRC 2 in Houston, the roller coaster passengers were traveling outdoors. The event was hosted by…

The “double scar” of past inflationary problems and geopolitical trauma has distorted consumers’ views of the economy and threatens to cause retail spending to fall, new research from the European Central Bank has found.Eurozone households have become more sensitive to the economic impact of the Iran war because of the cumulative economic scars left by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which led to a post-pandemic surge in inflation and soaring energy prices, ECB researchers said. “There is good reason to believe that consumer expectations are shaped not only by current trends, but also by memories of recent adverse events,” they…

The terrorist group’s commanders were discussing targeting Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter, as part of a series of attacks, three people familiar with the matter said.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Commander Mohammad Al Saadi was indicted on Thursday on eight charges for allegedly supporting nearly 20 attacks (and attempted attacks) across Europe, Canada and the United States.Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national, was extradited to New York this month to stand trial on charges including a plot to target a New York City synagogue. He was also charged with ordering…

WASHINGTON — In a case that raised questions about racial bias in the criminal justice system, the Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the murder conviction of a Black death row inmate in Mississippi. He objected when prosecutors tried to exclude a potential black juror.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The 5-4 verdict was a victory for Terry Pitchford, who was 18 at the time of the crime. He was convicted in 2004 of killing grocery store owner Ruben Britt during a robbery. Pitchford’s accomplice, Eric Brin, fired the fatal shot…

Inflation continues to hit consumers’ wallets in April, according to the latest price data released Thursday, and the Federal Reserve is likely to remain on the sidelines until the current wave subsides.The Commerce Department reported that the personal consumption expenditure price index rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in the month, bringing the 12-month inflation rate to 3.8%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had called for readings of 0.5% and 3.8%, respectively.Core prices excluding food and energy rose 0.2% last month and 3.3% for the year, compared to expectations of 0.3% and 3.3%.While the annual rate was in line with…