CNN – National

By Rachel Clarke, CNN Children are heading back to school with the academic cost of the pandemic now being laid bare. Tumbling test scores reveal how much learning was not absorbed by students driven to virtual schooling when their classrooms were closed overnight, often staying shut for over a year. As school buildings finally reopen

By Wayne Sterling, CNN Twenty-three-time grand slam singles champion Serena Williams and her sister, seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams, will miss the final tennis major of the year, the US Open, the two announced on social media on Wednesday. Serena Williams announced she would not be playing because of a hamstring injury, writing on

By Aya Elamroussi, CNN New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new anti-hazing bill into law Tuesday that requires schools to adopt policies against hazing and increases penalties for those found guilty. The law is inspired by the death of Timothy J. Piazza, according to a statement from the governor’s office. Piazza, of Lebanon, New

By Aya Elamroussi, CNN More than 270 homes in central Tennessee were destroyed in deadly flooding that killed 18 people and left three still unaccounted for days later, officials said Tuesday. A damage assessment conducted in Humphreys County showed 271 homes were destroyed by Saturday’s flooding, according to a news release from the county’s emergency

By Kay Jones and Nicole Williams, CNN The National Rifle Association (NRA) announced Tuesday it has canceled its 2021 annual meeting in Houston, citing the worsening Covid-19 situation there. The NRA reached the “difficult decision” to call off the event after analysis of the “relevant data regarding COVID-19 in Harris County, Texas,” the association said

By Sonia Moghe, CNN A woman who once publicly defended R. Kelly against allegations of abuse as one of his “girlfriends” continued testifying anonymously against the singer Tuesday, describing their volatile relationship and what it was like being one of his multiple live-in girlfriends. Wishing to be identified only as “Jane,” the woman testified Monday

By Amir Vera and David Close, CNN A six-year corruption investigation into bribery schemes in multiple world football organizations ended Tuesday. The US Department of Justice awarded $201 million to FIFA, international football’s governing body; CONCACAF, the confederation overseeing football in North and Central America along with the Caribbean countries; CONMEBOL, the governing confederation in

By Andy Rose, CNN A hiker from Indiana was injured when attacked by a bear in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, officials said. A statement from the park Tuesday says the unidentified 55-year-old man was hiking alone Monday in heavy fog when he was charged by a grizzly with two cubs nearby. “He

By Leyla Santiago and Sara Weisfeldt, CNN Florida’s Broward and Alachua counties are not backing down on mask mandates in schools, despite Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order that the mandates must allow parents to decide whether their children will wear a face covering. Both counties have now responded to the Florida Board of Education’s order that

By Emma Tucker and Laura Ly, CNN Five years ago, Virginia State Sen. Richard Stuart stumbled upon a two-mile stretch of erosion control filled with gravestones along the riverfront of the property he had just purchased in King George County. Historians revealed that the gravestones once belonging to a historic African American cemetery in 1960

By Melissa Alonso and Gregory Lemos, CNN The Fort Jackson soldier seen pushing and threatening a young Black man in a viral video in April was found guilty of third-degree assault and battery on Monday, according to the Richland County, South Carolina, magistrate. In April, Jonathan Pentland, a sergeant first class, was suspended of his