The Department of Transportation is proposing new rules designed to encourage seat belt usage by car and truck passengers, including those sitting in the back seats

Daniel Newman played Wulf in the 1991 blockbuster 'Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves' when he was 15

By Steve Holland and Humeyra Pamuk WASHINGTON Jens Stoltenberg is expected to be asked to remain as NATO

A 61-year-old woman died after falling roughly 150 feet from a steep cliff on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.

Olivia Dunne achieved a significant milestone by gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 20 years

A South Carolina man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to murder the sole survivor of a house fire that killed six members of a family. Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, was taken into custody following the fire on Sunday, the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. First responders arrived at the home in the unincorporated community of Green Pond around 11am after they were alerted to a blaze. Six people were found dead inside the burning residence, and a surviving individual was airlifted to an area hospital in critical condition. Law enforcement said that an interview with the survivor led to the arrest of Mr Manigo on one count of attempted murder. More charges are expected once autopsies are completed on the six fatal victims, according to the Colleton-County Sheriffs-Office. “Today’s events which occurred in this quiet, nestled community of Green Pond are tragic,” Hiram Davis, a close friend of the victims, told local news station, WCBD. “We ask everyone to please give law enforcement time to do their jobs.” Mr Davis added: “We should always be vigilant. We should always have an eye on our surroundings.” Authorities have not released the name of the victims or a motive for the crimes. It is unclear whether they are related to Mr Manigo, or whether he was the one to start the fire. A neighbour also told WCBD that he was on his way home when he saw emergency vehicles rushing to the victims’ home. “We don’t have that in this community. No violence to that degree,” the man, who wished not to share his name, said. “God help their souls. This community is better than that.” Mr Manigo remains in custody at the Colleton County Detention Center ahead of his bond hearing at 2.30pm EST local on Monday. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s Arson Team is working along with the Colleton County Sheriffs-Office in the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 843-549-2211. Read More Chilling moment man arrested after killing wife and children in drunken rage France riots – live: ‘Insulting’ fundraiser for officer who shot teen hits €1m as fraction raised for victim Man accused of killing and dismembering girlfriend is tied to disappearance of second woman

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says he'll veto a sweeping Republican elections bill that would end a grace period for voting by mail and make new allowances for partisan poll observers

A famous drag show restaurant has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming a bill that prohibits children’s attendance at drag shows has hurt its business and is a violation of the First Amendment. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando, a franchise location of the drag show restaurant chain Hamburger Mary’s, is alleging that the state of Florida, “Seeks to explicitly restrict or chill speech and expression protected by the First Amendment” in a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Monday. The lawsuit pertains to SB 1438, nicknamed the Protection of Children, which allows for criminal penalties against a food service establishment for admitting children to “an adult live performance.” The bill, which was signed into law by Mr DeSantis last week, prohibits children from attending adult live performances or the establishment can face fines, have their license suspended or revoked and their liquor license suspended or revoked. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando offers “family friendly” drag performances on Sundays, which they say have been greatly affected by the passage of SB 1438. “This bill has nothing to do with children, and everything to do with the continued oppression of the LGBTQ+ community,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando wrote in a Facebook post. In the lawsuit, Hamburger Mary’s Orlando said “immediately” after the bill passed, 20 per cent of their bookings were cancelled for the 21 May 2023 show as well as future bookings despite the performances being “family friendly.” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando is alleging in the lawsuit that the bill does not serve a compelling governmental interest and is too vague, thus violating the restaurant’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression. “The law and anticipation of it has had a chilling effect on free speech in Florida,” the lawsuit says. The lawsuit names Mr DeSantis, the state of Florida, as well as Melanie Griffin, the Secretary of the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation for Florida, as defendants. The recent Protection of Children bill defines “adult live performance” as any presentation in front of a live audience where a part of it depicts sexual activity, sexual conduct, nudity, lewd exposure, lewd conduct, prosthetic or imitation genitals and more. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando claims, “There is no lewd activity, sexually explicit shows, disorderly conduct, public exposure, obscene exhibition, or anything inappropriate for a child to see” in their family-friendly brunches. The restaurant claims several undercover agents visited a drag brunch in December and did not witness “any lewd acts” that were inappropriate for children. Hamburger Mary’s Orlando is also alleging that the state of Florida has not provided examples of specific conduct that is harmful to children. “The uncertainty about what specific conduct this law prohibits, as well as the threat of police surveillance and criminal charges, is precisely what concerns the Plaintiff in this case,” the lawsuit says. Instead, Hamburger Mary’s Orlando believes this is another example of conservative leaders trying to restrict LGBT+ inclusivity in communities. “Anytime our legislators want to demonize a group, they say they are coming for your children. In this case, creating a false narrative that drag queens are grooming and recruiting your children with no factual basis or history to back up these accusations AT ALL,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando wrote on Facebook. “They are setting a precedent that the state legislators [sic] can decide what is best for you based on THEIR own values and convictions, and write it into law,” Hamburger Mary’s Orlando added. The Independent has reached out to Hamburger Mary’s Orlando and Mr DeSantis’ office for comment. Read More Ron DeSantis news – latest: Florida governor’s wife launches his 2024 presidential bid Florida school bans poem recited by Amanda Gorman at Biden inauguration College student who tracked Elon Musk’s private jet is now following Ron DeSantis Target has been a leader in catering to LGBTQ+ shoppers – now it’s on the defensive What's on DeSantis' agenda? A look at the laws he passed as Florida governor, from abortion to guns In Panama, legal rights given to sea turtles, boosting the 'rights of nature' movement

Salma Paralluelo has scored deep in extra time to give Spain a 2-1 win over Netherlands and send the sixth-ranked nation into the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time

Germany’s ruling coalition approved a scaled-back plan to decriminalize personal use of cannabis in a first step toward

The head of the U.N. children's agency says close to half of Haiti’s people need humanitarian aid

A Mississippi grand jury has issued a report sharply criticizing a police department whose errors prompted a mistrial in the case of two white men charged in an attack on a Black FedEx driver