Ingested Articles

The National Weather Service in Seattle says burning debris from a rocket lit up Pacific Northwest skies Thursday night. “The widely reported bright objects in the sky were debris from a Falcon 9 rocket 2nd stage that did not successfully have a deorbit burn,” the service says in a tweet about the astral occurrence that the Seattle Times reports was seen shortly after 9 p.m. There were no reports of damage or other impacts on the ground. The Times reports the rocket delivered Starlink satellites, built in Redmond, Washington, into orbit earlier this week. SpaceX says the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed as planned on its ocean-going barge off the coast of Florida.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzania has given a hero's burial to President John Magufuli, who died earlier this month after denying that COVID-19 was a danger to the East African country. Magufuli's coffin was lowered into the ground Friday by…

LONDON (AP) — Scotland’s former first minister, Alex Salmond, announced Friday that he is making a return to frontline politics at the head of a new pro-independence party in upcoming elections. Salmond, who was acquitted last year in a sexual…

Chinese officials have briefed diplomats in Beijing on the research into the origin of COVID-19, ahead of the expected release of a long-awaited report from the World Health Organization. The briefing appeared to be an attempt by China to get out its view on the report, which has become enmeshed in a diplomatic spat. The U.S. and others have raised questions about Chinese influence and the independence of the findings, and China has accused critics of politicizing a scientific study. The expert who led a WHO team on a visit to the city in China where COVID-19 cases were first reported says the nearly 400-page report is in the process of being fact-checked and translated.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Texas author Larry McMurtry has died at the age of 84. McMurtry penned almost 50 books and dozens of screenplays during a career that spanned over half a century, often depicting the American West. He won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for “Lonesome Dove,” the tale of a cattle drive during the 1870s. It was made into a popular television miniseries. Several of McMurtry’s books became feature films, including the Oscar-winning films “The Last Picture Show” and “Terms of Endearment.” He also co-wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for “Brokeback Mountain.”

Some of the deals made at the NBA trade deadline will not register much of a blip. And it says something about the busiest trade deadline in 35 years when the biggest news of the day was a trade that didn’t happen. That was Kyle Lowry remaining a Toronto Raptor. That said, there were some moves that have potential to affect the postseason races. And the winners could very well be Denver, Boston, Chicago, Miami, the Clippers and Atlanta.

Following a year without a season due to the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of minor league players are finally returning to work. Minor league spring training is set to open next week after the big leaguers vacate camps in Florida and Arizona. Many haven't played in a game since 2019, and players found creative ways to stay in shape and stay sharp. One player told The Associated Press he built his own mound from scratch, and another said he began power lifting truck parts when he couldn't access a real gym.

The Midwest Region has caused more busted NCAA Tournament brackets than any other. But perhaps the four teams in the quadrant that have sent Illinois, Tennessee and Oklahoma State packing shouldn't be that surprising. Loyola Chicago, Houston and Syracuse all have coaches that have been to the Final Four. Oregon State has lost just once in the past five weeks. That could make for an intriguing pair of games when the Ramblers face the Beavers and the Cougars and Orange square off on Saturday in Indianapolis.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union vaccine politics reached a fever pitch Friday with charges of British blackmail and unfair practices among EU members flying about as the bloc frantically sought to ramp up production and impose export controls to stave…

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday hailed the military's performance during recent Arctic drills, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its presence in the polar region. Navy chief Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov reported to Putin that the exercise…

An attorney for a Georgia lawmaker who was criminally charged after knocking on the door to the governor’s private office says authorities overreached in the case. The episode unfolded while the governor spoke on live television about a sweeping overhaul of state elections. State police arrested state Rep. Park Cannon, an Atlanta Democrat, on Thursday after she said she wanted to see Republican Gov. Brian Kemp sign the law. It places new restrictions on voting by mail and gives lawmakers more power to oversee elections. Cannon was charged with two felonies — obstruction of law enforcement and disruption of the General Assembly. She was released from jail late Thursday.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Police in Turkey detained dozens of people who assembled outside a courthouse Friday in a show of solidarity with 12 students who were taken into custody for unfurling rainbow flags, according to Turkish news reports. The detentions…

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — With Kenya's COVID-19 cases and deaths surging, President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced tightened restrictions in five of the most affected counties. The new restrictions have been imposed in the country's capital Nairobi and the three urban…