Americas

President Andres Manuel López Obrador defended his attorney general’s exoneration of a former defense minister Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda who was arrested in Los Angeles last October on drug trafficking charges that were later dropped when he was returned to Mexico with a promise by local authorities to investigate him.

Masked men armed with guns and machetes killed a Honduran environmentalist activist in front of his family, police said on Monday, the latest in a string of such attacks in the Central American country.

Brazil’s Amazonas State is airlifting 60 premature babies from hospitals in Manaus for emergency care in Sao Paulo, a distance of 3,875 kilometers (2,407 miles), because of a shortage of oxygen supplies in health facilities in the state.

Canadian police arrested two people after an illegal New Year’s Eve party violated Quebec’s Covid-19 lockdown protocols.

Mexico wants the US to vaccinate all Mexican migrant workers currently working in the United States — and it says Trump’s own signature trade deal requires it.

Argentina’s Senate approved a bill to legalize abortion Wednesday in an historic vote seen as a major victory for abortion rights advocates in the Catholic-majority country.

Quebec — Canada’s second-most populous province — announced Wednesday that for four weeks it will impose one of North America’s tightest lockdowns, including a strict curfew. Officials fear that without it, the hospital system will be overwhelmed.

Canada continues to set new daily records for Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths as officials plead with Canadians to follow public health guidance aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Friday that “all means” are being made available to help the country’s largest state, Amazonas, where hospitals are running out of beds and oxygen tanks amid soaring coronavirus infections.

Amid a devastating resurgence of the coronavirus in parts of Brazil, federal health officials have finally voted to authorize two vaccines for emergency use. Sunday, Brazilian regulatory agency Anvisa approved both the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Coronavac vaccine.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck Argentina’s west-central province of San Juan on Monday night, according to a preliminary report from the United States Geological Survey.

Hippopotamuses brought to Colombia by drug baron Pablo Escobar have bred so successfully that there is serious concern over their environmental impact and human safety, according to a new study.

Local and federal officials in Brazil were warned of looming oxygen shortages nearly a week before crisis struck in the city of Manaus, the country’s Solicitor General has revealed.

Experts have uncovered the remains of a gigantic dinosaur in Argentina, and believe it could be one of the largest creatures to have ever walked the Earth.

Frustration visibly boiled over with some Canadian leaders Tuesday as Pfizer told the country that it would not receive any vaccine doses next week due to the continuing manufacturing disruptions at its facility in Belgium.

Read CNN’s Cuba Fast Facts to learn more about this communist country located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 90 miles south of Florida.

A group of Peruvian medics went on a hunger strike Tuesday demanding more investment in the health sector amid spiraling cases of Covid-19, according to a statement from Peru’s Social Security National Medical Union (SINAMMSOP) published Wednesday.

Habla español? Visit CNN en Español for all the latest news and updates in Spanish.

Argentina could make history on Tuesday, as its Senate votes on a bill to legalize abortion.

Flanked by flags in the makeshift assembly hall of a non-descript office building, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition told lawmakers that 2021 would be the year that would change Venezuela’s fate.

Electric eels have been found to hunt in packs in the first documented case of its kind, which researchers have called an “extraordinary discovery.”

Gaming equipment maker Razer has created a reusable face mask featuring a medical-grade respirator and an in-built microphone and amplifier.

Read CNN’s Fast Facts about Wayne Gretzky and learn more about the Hall of Fame hockey player called “The Great One.”

The new order will go into effect Thursday.

Scientists have discovered that brown tree snakes can use a lasso-like movement to climb large, smooth cylindrical objects — a way of moving never seen before in the reptiles.

One winning ticket has been sold in the $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot

Officials say a naked Florida man has been arrested after stealing what news footage showed to be a marked police vehicle and crashing it

The parents of Jennifer Kesse say they are “closer than ever” to uncovering answers in the disappearance of their daughter, who vanished 15 years ago from central Florida in a case that has long baffled investigators.

A Las Vegas-based tour bus heading to the Grand Canyon rolled over in northwestern Arizona on Friday, killing one person and critically injuring two others, authorities said.

On TikTok and in virtual hangouts, a younger generation is sharing the origins and nuances of Black American Sign Language, a rich variation of ASL that scholars say has been overlooked for too long.

The mayor of Bellingham, Wash., reportedly had to be rushed out of City Hall on Friday morning after rioters apparently advocating for the homeless stormed the building.

Shortages of shots for yellow fever, polio and other diseases have led to innovative solutions even in very poor countries.

“Getting the vaccine is the hottest thing you could be doing on a dating app right now,” said a spokesman for OKCupid.

Legal pot has made Canadian justice a little fairer, with “heavily racialized” arrests for possession mostly ending. But vows on amnesty, illicit sales and Indigenous inclusion are works in progress.

Senator Raphael Warnock was sworn in this week as Georgia’s first Black senator, and he arrived with a canny canine assist.

Microsoft, Starbucks and Amazon are among the companies offering the government assistance with logistics and operations.

A restriction more often used in natural disasters, or to quell unrest, has never been tested against a pathogen like the virus.

Mr. Ducey, who is facing censure by his state party on Saturday, says the divisions within the Republican Party are nothing new.

Mr. Biden, a man of old Washington, might be in for a rude awakening.

The Congresswoman Cori Bush and the musician FKA twigs describe how manipulative, isolating conduct known as “coercive control” helped trap them in abusive relationships. Lawmakers are starting to listen.

A Florida teenager who authorities say killed his mom when he was 15 after an argument about his school grades was sentenced Friday to 45 years in prison.

A 25-year-old Minnesota man pleaded guilty Friday after authorities accused him of helping set fire to the Third Precinct headquarters of the Minneapolis Police Department last May.

Health officials are frustrated that available doses are going unused while the virus is killing thousands of people each day. Many vaccine appointments have been canceled.

The House Republicans who voted to charge President Donald J. Trump with inciting the Capitol riot are facing a fleet of primary challengers, censures and other rebukes from their party.

A look at the 10 largest U.S. jackpots that have been won and the states where the winning tickets were sold

Lottery: 1 winning ticket for $1 billion Mega Millions jackpot sold in Michigan

A marijuana industry activist who was temporarily living in Minnesota has been charged with threatening a member of Congress

Trying to find another avenue to push his baseless election claims, Donald Trump considered installing a loyalist.

Today in History Today is Saturday, Jan. 23, the 23rd day of 2021. There are 342 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On Jan. 23, 2020, Chinese state media said the city of Wuhan would be shutting down outbound flights and trains, trying to halt the spread of a new virus that had sickened hundreds of people and killed at least 17. The World Health Organization said the viral illness in China was not yet a global health emergency, though the head of the U.N. health agency added that “it may yet become one.” On this date: In 1812, the second New Madrid Earthquake struck, with an estimated magnitude of 7.5, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. In 1937, 17 people went on trial in Moscow during Josef Stalin’s “Great Purge.” (All were convicted of conspiracy; all but four were executed.) In 1950, the Israeli Knesset approved a resolution…

New daily cases are starting to slow in what some health experts see as a turning point. But they warn of a bumpy vaccination rollout amid the emergence of more contagious variants.

President Donald Trump came to rely on executive action for many of his achievements. But his successor seems to understand that it is best used to repeal someone else’s legacy, not build his own.

Canadians welcome a renewed relationship with the United States after tolerating four years of insults and threats from the Trump administration.

Authorities say a Las Vegas-based tour bus headed to the Grand Canyon rolled over in northwestern Arizona

The former president doled out pardons to political allies and friends, but he also helped people serving harsh sentences.

He held the most celebrated record in sports for more than 30 years.

A West Virginia woman killed five young children before setting her home on fire and fatally shooting herself in December, authorities said Thursday. 

The order for the evaluation from the intelligence community comes as judges continue to deny bail for suspects in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

A federal judge in Washington says a right-wing conspiracy theorist from Iowa seen prominently in videos taunting a U.S. Capitol police officer during the Jan. 6 riot must remain in custody

She could be combative in one duet, a picture of stillness in another and witty in still another role. On Broadway, she danced in “West Side Story.”

A 12-year-old was swept into the ocean by a rogue wave in the San Francisco bay area Monday, and his family is now offering a $50,000 reward for locating him. 

A Boston defense attorney once named as one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors has been charged with raping two women, prosecutors said.

There is some evidence that a new coronavirus variant first identified in southeast England carries a higher risk of death than the original strain, the British government’s chief scientific adviser said Friday — though he stressed that the data is uncertain

A day after Joseph R. Biden Jr. became president, resetting Canada’s relationship with its neighbor, Governor General Julie Payette quit as Queen Elizabeth’s representative as head of state.

Jonathan Braun’s 10-year sentence for running a drug ring was commuted by the departing president. The White House did not mention that he faces separate accusations of violence and threats.

The plan would put off the historic proceeding until Feb. 9, giving former President Donald J. Trump time to prepare his defense and allowing President Biden to fill his cabinet and begin work on his agenda.

After the surprise discovery of an extra dose in every vial, Pfizer executives successfully lobbied the F.D.A. to change the vaccine’s formal authorization language. The company charges by the dose.

The retired general was approved overwhelmingly, after Congress granted him a waiver from a law restricting those who are retired from military service fewer than seven years from leading the Pentagon.

A Federal Aviation Administration employee and QAnon follower from California who had been on the FBI’s radar is facing federal charges after authorities say he confessed to taking part in the siege of the U.S. Capitol

The disclosure comes amid growing legislative scrutiny of how the government uses commercially available location records.

Viitali Gossjkowsi, faces more than one federal charge, including, “disrupting the orderly conduct of Government business” and did so, “while using or carrying a dangerous weapon.” Gossjankowski could face more than 10 years in prison if he is found guilty on all charges.

A man accused of participating in an extremist plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to plead guilty next week.

Some relatives of those killed in the Oakland warehouse fire in 2016 said they were outraged that prosecutors had a deal with the defendant that they said would allow him to avoid additional time behind bars.

Maryland officials are remembering the nation’s longest-serving state Senate president as a powerful politician who influenced policy in the state for nearly half a century

Prosecutors in Los Angeles County are barred from attending an upcoming parole hearing to oppose the release of a serial child rapist as part of a series of controversial reforms implemented by District Attorney George Gascón. 

Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Cori Bush of Missouri on Friday led a group of 35 lawmakers in urging President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of all federal prisoners on death row.

President Joe Biden’s 60-day moratorium on new oil and natural gas leases and drilling permits is prompting widespread concerns in New Mexico, where spending on education and other government programs hinges on the industry’s success

In an effort disrupt what it calls “whiteness and white supremacy in libraries”, the University of Wisconsin’s Gender and Women’s Studies Library has published a reading list for students that includes sections on “Whiteness”; “Microaggressions”; and “Decolonizing Research and Knowledge.”

A few thousand National Guard troops could end up staying in the nation’s capital until mid-March, a U.S. defense official confirms to Fox News.

Prosecutors say no criminal charges will be filed against four Indianapolis police officers in the fatal shooting of a Black man

A federal judge has ordered an Arkansas man accused of beating a police officer with a flagpole during the riot at the U.S. Capitol to remain in jail as he awaits trial

Sheriff: Tour bus on way to Grand Canyon rolls over in Arizona, killing 1, critically injuring 2

U.S. immigration authorities have released the last of nine detained women who were taken to see a rural Georgia gynecologist accused of performing unnecessary hysterectomies or other medical procedures

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is under investigation for potential civil rights violations as state officials determine whether deputies have engaged in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional policing

The agency now says patients may switch authorized vaccines between the first and second doses, and also extend the interval between doses to six weeks.

A geophysicist from Colorado allegedly dragged a police officer down a set of stairs during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — and then bought a plane ticket to Switzerland and attempted suicide in Westchester County in the days after the siege, it was revealed in court Friday.

Long at Newsweek, she was regarded as one of her generation’s pre-eminent science writers. An “Enlightenment-era figure,” Jon Meacham said.

Like his predecessor, President Joe Biden is invoking a 1950 law to boost production of supplies needed to confront the coronavirus pandemic

Protesters again took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Thursday — the first full day of Joe Biden’s presidency — to let the Democratic establishment know they are still fighting for racial justice, some told CNN.

Large swaths of the United States still refuse to follow simple advice from experts.

His collaborations with Michael Bennett included “A Chorus Line.” He later worked on “Miss Saigon” and other hits.

A judge has ordered the federal government to come up with a plan to release more endangered red wolves from breeding programs to bolster the dwindling wild population

Photographs of Guard soldiers resting on the concrete floor of a parking garage prompted swift condemnation and apologies from members of Congress.

She became a beloved figure in a movement that her son had helped spearhead before dying heroically aboard Flight 93 on 9/11.

The son of a couple killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11 worshippers is suing the National Rifle Association, saying the group’s inflammatory rhetoric led to the violence

Houston police officer Taylor Roccaforte was shocked when then-presidential candidate Joe Biden came to see him in the hospital after he was shot in the line of duty.

The master tenant of a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse where 36 people perished in a 2016 fire has pleaded guilty to the deaths

The former CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa has been arrested on three felony charges alleging she embezzled tens of thousands of dollars from the charity that supports sick children

The New York Police Department says that evidence from three murders at a senior housing complex in Brooklyn point to one suspect: a well-known man who ran errands for the building’s residents.

More than 100 National Guard members stationed at the Capitol have tested positive for COVID-19, defense officials said Friday. 

The leader of the board at the 150-year-old San Francisco Art Institute said she is confident the college has a plan to address its financial problems, but critics have suggested otherwise.

The White House is keenly aware of the Republican objections that have arisen to President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus proposal, but they are urging Democratic allies to be patient for the moment, according to two administration officials.

The estimated jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery game has grown to $1 billion ahead of Friday night’s drawing after more than four months without a winner

Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued sharp criticism of the state Legislature’s efforts to repeal a Covid-19 emergency declaration in a video statement released Friday.

The hospital in Arizona’s Yuma County, on the border, is so overwhelmed it’s had to fly Covid-19 patients to other cities. No other region has had a higher case rate during the pandemic.

The settlements are the first enforcement actions brought under the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, which was designed to prevent brokers from buying large numbers of tickets.

California’s attorney general announced the launch of a civil rights probe Friday into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, an embattled law enforcement agency that has been at the center of several controversial shootings in recent years and allegations that deputy gangs routinely engage in misconduct. 

One of the first and most elite chess players to flee the Soviet bloc for the West, he was among the best players in the world for many years.

Some colleges have faced criticism for how strict their coronavirus safety measures are.

Salt Lake City, Utah, officials have ruled to end a seven-month hiring freeze to allow the police department to fill almost 60 roles amid spiking crime and a surge in officers walking away from the job, according to a recent report.

Texas is asking a court to stop President Joe Biden from allowing a 100-day moratorium on deportations

A panel of Virginia lawmakers have advanced a bill to remove a statue of Harry F

The Croatian-born actress played Ambassador Delenn on the science fiction TV series “Babylon 5” throughout its five seasons and in two movies.

Students who survived the Parkland, Florida, school shooting and families of the victims are calling for Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation, after comments surfaced that showed her agreeing with people who said the 2018 shooting was a “false flag” operation.

A report from the federal government says compliance with speed rules designed to protect rare whales has increased in recent years but could still be higher

Police said Josephus Davis is one out of two suspects who were seen on surveillance video approaching Loncar while he was walking his dog on Jan 13. Loncar was allegedly patted down and shot in the city’s Brewerytown area, according to FOX 29 in Philadelphia. 

Julie Payette represented the queen as Canada’s official head of state, a high-profile but largely ceremonial role. She was accused of publicly humiliating employees.

Seven districts, seven very different experiences of pandemic learning.

“No Time to Die,” the latest film in the James Bond series and one of the most anticipated movies of 2021, has been delayed again.

Airlines are still operating only a fraction of the number of flights they offered pre-pandemic, and alcohol is banned in many cabins to help thwart the spread of Covid-19. This is adding up to a lot of leftover booze. Now, American Airlines is hoping to sell and ship some of its excess wine directly to peoples’ homes.

The Vermont school teacher behind the cozy mittens worn by Senator Bernie Sanders during President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday said she’s been flooded with requests from people wanting to buy a pair. But they’re no longer for sale.

It did not take long for the performances of a 19-year-old in Ecuador to catch the eyes of Europe’s biggest clubs. In soccer’s cutthroat transfer market, they were not the only ones watching.

The former fashion executive’s defense team asked for more time after one of the two guarantors who put forward collateral raised suspicions.

History suggests that Joe Biden and the Democrats are going to have a tough two years and a disaster in the midterms. Here’s their plan to avoid that.

The small South American country has become a hot prospect for oil companies looking to produce fossil fuels while spending less.

As President Biden calls for unity and calmer rhetoric, his presidency began with burned flags and federal agents deployed once again into the streets.

While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shares the incoming president’s climate change agenda, the Canadian leader is also a pipeline proponent.

Bitcoin is up more than 260% over the past 12 months — a stellar ride — yet owning the asset is fraught with risks including wild swings in cryptocurrency prices. But there are several ways for investors to get a piece of the bitcoin boom without investing directly in bitcoin.

The country’s future now rests in the hands of a generation that won’t be around to see the outcomes of its decisions.

The Trump administration will not have its own signature collection to display in the White House China Room — another departure from protocol for the outgoing first family.

To assess how public schools have navigated the pandemic and the impact on students, The Times examined seven representative districts. The answers were strikingly different.

President Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday looked a bit different from past ceremonies ushering in a new administration.

Despite cascading crises at home that will need his urgent attention, some foreign policy experts predict the new U.S. leader will take an energetic role in foreign policy.

The handover of power was a solemn affair. There was no mistaking the new administration for the old one.

Scenes from a unique moment in American history

The invitations have been scaled back by the pandemic and the security has been heightened by the insurrection, but Joe Biden’s inauguration as the 46th president of the United States will still have plenty of pomp.

The tale of a British Columbia teenager’s canny survival instincts during a snowmobile outing has brought some pandemic cheer to Canada.

From New York to Hong Kong/Seoul to London, journalists can collaborate around the clock to report on a breaking story.

The country is paying a price for its leader’s slow pursuit of coronavirus vaccines early on. That lapse may hinder Brazil’s ability to fight worrisome variants as cases surge.

Blocks from the Capitol, residents and business owners must pass through military checkpoints to go about their day.

Rehearsals and preparations are underway for the upcoming inaugural ceremony of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President–elect Kamala Harris.

Skylar Mack, an American college student, was released last week after spending more than a month behind bars. She said, “I deserved it.”

The Biden administration will need to rebuild drug-enforcement cooperation after Mexico exonerated Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, discounting U.S. evidence that he worked for a cartel.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador came to appreciate Mr. Trump’s hands-off style, and is already making waves with an incoming administration he expects to be more meddlesome.