Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON — A solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban as a rising number support access to abortions for any reason, a new poll finds, highlighting a politically perilous situation for candidates who oppose abortion rights as the November election draws closer. Around 6 in 10 Americans think...
Biden’s low-profile doctor has been thrust into the spotlight after the president’s debate disaster
WASHINGTON — As the physician to President Joe Biden, Dr. Kevin O’Connor is well-known around the White House. The stocky former Army surgeon is always close by his number one patient, ready to provide care or a consult as needed though few outside the building would know who he is....
Blamed for Chesapeake Bay pollution, Pennsylvania took steps to clean up. Here’s how it’s going
Pennsylvania has drawn ire from environmental groups, lobbyists and even a lawsuit from Maryland because of its slow pace to reduce pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. In a state where many residents are not connected to the bay and unaware of the upstream impact on the nation’s largest estuary,...
U.S.-built pier will be put back in Gaza for several days to move aid, then permanently removed
WASHINGTON — The pier built by the U.S. military to take humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reinstalled Wednesday to be used for several days, but then the plan is to pull it out permanently, several U.S. officials said. It would deal the final blow to a project long plagued...
Delta and an airline that doesn’t fly yet say they’ll run flights between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia
Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it has entered into a partnership with startup Riyadh Air with the goal of operating flights between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh Air, which plans to begin passenger flights next summer, is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and is part of the...
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies at 89
OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, a conservative firebrand known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change, has died. He was 89. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday...
Ukrainian boxer sacrifices Olympic dreams and life to fight against Russia’s invasion
ROMNY, Ukraine — Maksym Halinichev won silver at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in a match described at the time as “two of the best young fighters going for glory.” He considered the bout a loss — it wasn’t gold, after all — but it gave him a map...
Beryl leaves hot misery in its wake as the still-dangerous storm churns over the U.S. interior
HOUSTON — Many of the millions left without power when Hurricane Beryl crashed into Texas, killing several people and unleashing flooding, now face days without air conditioning as dangerous heat threatens the region Tuesday. A heat advisory was in effect through Wednesday in the Houston area and beyond, with temperatures...
Pa. great-grandmother who just finished radiation treatments for breast cancer wins $5M lottery prize
A great-grandmother from Pennsylvania who recently completed radiation treatments for breast cancer won $5 million on a scratch-off state lottery ticket that she only bought because a scheduled family trip didn’t go as planned. Donna Osborne, 75, scored the big prize last month when she bought a $50 “Monopoly Own...
A rare voice box transplant helped a cancer patient speak again, part of a pioneering studyVideo
WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man has regained his voice after surgeons removed his cancerous larynx and, in a pioneering move, replaced it with a donated one. Transplants of the so-called voice box are extremely rare, and normally aren’t an option for people with active cancer. Marty Kedian is only the...
Biden says he won’t step aside. But if he does, here’s why Harris is the favorite to replace him
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden insists that only “the Lord Almighty” can convince him to quit the presidential race. But should he change his mind, Vice President Kamala Harris is by far the best positioned to replace him. Harris would have a head start over several of the most discussed...
Trump revels in Democratic turmoil as he returns to campaign trail, teases VP pick
MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday reveled in the mounting turmoil surrounding President Joe Biden ‘s campaign in the wake of their debate and teased the expected announcement of his Republican running mate with one of the top contenders, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, in attendance. After days spent...
Biden looks to make the case at the NATO summit that he is still up for the job
WASHINGTON — NATO leaders gathering in Washington starting Tuesday plan to shore up transatlantic support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia. But for host President Joe Biden, the summit has become just as much about demonstrating he is capable of meeting the grinding demands of the presidency for four...
The White House faces many questions about Biden’s health and medical history. Here are some answers
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s terrible performance at the June 27 presidential debate has raised concerns about his age, health and ability to lead the federal government. Administration officials have blamed his confused and at times indecipherable answers at the debate with Republican Donald Trump on a head cold, jet...
Columbia University removes deans who mocked antisemitism concerns in wake of Gaza protests
NEW YORK — Three Columbia University deans who “engaged in very troubling text message exchanges” in the aftermath of relentless pro-Palestinian campus protests have been permanently removed from their positions, President Minouche Shafik and officials announced Monday. The administrators had been placed on leave pending an investigation since their texts...
New Sentinel nuclear warhead program is 81% over budget, but Pentagon says it must go forward
WASHINGTON — The new Sentinel nuclear warhead program is 81% over budget and is now estimated to cost nearly $141 billion, but the Pentagon is moving forward with the program, saying that given the threats from China and Russia it does not have a choice. The Northrop Grumman Sentinel program...
‘Bob’s Burgers’ actor pleads guilty to interfering with police during Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — An actor who played a street-brawling newsman in the movie “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and a pizzeria owner in the television series “Bob’s Burgers” pleaded guilty on Monday to interfering with police officers trying to protect the U.S. Capitol from a mob’s attack. Jay Johnston, 55,...
Report: Parkinson’s doctor has visited Biden White House regularly
A doctor who is an expert on Parkinson’s disease reportedly visited the White House on a fairly regular basis in the past year, including at least once for a meeting with President Joe Biden’s personal physician. Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist who recently published a paper on Parkinson’s, made eight...
Republicans move at Trump’s behest to change how they will oppose abortion
MILWAUKEE — The Republican National Committee moved Monday to adopt a party platform that reflects former President Donald Trump’s position opposing a federal abortion ban and ceding limits to states, omitting the explicit basis for a national ban for the first time in 40 years. Trump imposed his priorities on...
Read the letter President Biden sent to House Democrats telling them to support him in the election
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden wants Democrats in Congress to know he has no intention of exiting this year’s election, sending them a letter on Monday on his personal letterhead. Here is Biden’s letter to the congressional Democrats whose backing he likely needs: Fellow Democrats, Now that you have returned...
Biden tells Hill Democrats he won’t step aside amid party drama: ‘It’s time for it to end’Video
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden, in a letter to congressional Democrats, stood firm against calls for him to drop his candidacy and called for an end to the intraparty drama that has torn apart Democrats since his dismal public debate performance. Biden’s efforts to shore up a deeply anxious Democratic...
The plane is ready, the fundraisers are booked: Trump’s VP search comes down to its final days
NEW YORK — The future Republican vice presidential candidate’s plane is currently parked in an undisclosed hangar, an empty spot on its fuselage where a decal featuring his or her name will soon be placed. Fundraisers have been planned. All that’s left: an announcement from former President Donald Trump unveiling...
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shuts down 2024 presidential talk but doesn’t hide ambitions in timely book launch
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is releasing a new memoir at a particularly fraught moment, both for herself and for the Democratic Party. Set for release Tuesday amid the frenzy over President Joe Biden’s recent debate performance, “True Gretch” won’t do much to dispel questions about her national...
Russia’s heaviest bombardment of Kyiv in 4 months hits children’s hospital
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian missiles blasted cities across Ukraine on Monday, damaging the country’s largest children’s hospital and other buildings in a fierce assault that interrupted heart surgeries and forced young cancer patients to take their treatments outdoors. At least 31 people were killed, officials said. The daytime barrage targeted...
More than 3 million pass through U.S. airport security in a day for the first time as travel surges
More than 3 million people passed through U.S. airport security on Sunday, the first time that number of passengers have been screened in a single day as travel surges, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration. The record, which was widely predicted to happen at some point over the July...