U.S./World category, Page 540
Arizona to remove shipping container wall from Mexico border
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will take down a makeshift wall made of shipping containers at the Mexico border, settling a lawsuit and political tussle with the U.S. government over trespassing on federal lands. The Biden administration and the Republican governor entered into an agreement that Arizona will cease...
U.S. economy grew 3.2% in third quarter, an upgrade from earlier estimateVideo
WASHINGTON — Shrugging off rampant inflation and rising interest rates, the U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly strong 3.2% annual pace from July through September, the government reported Thursday in a healthy upgrade from its earlier estimate of third-quarter growth. The rise in gross domestic product — the economy’s output...
IRS mandatory presidential audit policy goes under spotlight
WASHINGTON — An IRS policy governing the audits of tax returns filed by U.S. presidents is under new scrutiny after a report published by a congressional panel found the agency failed to perform the mandatory inspection of Donald Trump’s returns until Congress pressed for information about the process. The three-point...
Sweden still has requirements to meet to join NATO
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey appreciates Sweden’s steps so far to get approval to join NATO but is not even “halfway” through fulfilling a list of commitments it made to secure Ankara’s support, the Turkish foreign minister said Thursday. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said a Swedish court’s decision not to extradite...
Turkey, Saudi Arabia decry Taliban university ban for women
KABUL, Afghanistan — The minister of higher education in the Taliban government on Thursday defended his decision to ban women from universities — a decree that had triggered a global backlash. Discussing the matter for the first time in public, Nida Mohammad Nadim said the ban issued earlier this week...
Newspaper: Georgia congressman may have illegally voted
ATLANTA — A Georgia congressman voted three times this year in a county where he no longer lives, possibly violating state law, state records show. Republican U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson’s congressional website shows he lives with his wife in The Rock, 63 miles away from his former home in West...
Storm adds uncertainty to strong holiday travel demandVideo
Concerns about illness or inflation aren’t stopping Americans from hitting the roads and airports this holiday season. But a massive winter storm might. Forecasters predict an onslaught of heavy snow, ice, flooding and powerful winds from Thursday to Saturday in a broad swath of the country, from the Plains and...
Lawyer: Man charged in NYC subway shooting plans guilty plea
NEW YORK — A man charged with wounding 10 people when he fired a gun into a crowded Brooklyn subway car earlier this year has told his lawyers he’d like to plead guilty next month. Frank James, 63, wants to plead guilty in the first week of January, the attorneys...
Women sexually abused by ICU nurse sue Colorado hospital
DENVER — Two women who say a nurse sexually assaulted them while they were unconscious in intensive care filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Colorado hospital where they were being treated, alleging the hospital’s management didn’t do enough to prevent the abuse. The lawsuit — which is proposed as a...
Jan. 6 panel prepares to release final report on insurrectionVideo
WASHINGTON — An 800-page report set to be released by House investigators will conclude that then-President Donald Trump criminally plotted to overturn his 2020 election defeat and “provoked his supporters to violence” at the Capitol with false claims of widespread voter fraud. The resulting Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection of Trump’s...
Explainer: Arctic blast sweeps U.S., bomb cyclone possible
NEW YORK — An arctic blast is bringing extreme cold, heavy snow and intense wind across much of the U.S. this week — just in time for the holidays. The weather system, which may build into a “bomb cyclone,” is expected to move east in the days leading up to...
Migrants at U.S.-Mexico border await ruling on asylum limits
EL PASO, Texas — Thousands of migrants gathered along the Mexican side of the southern border Wednesday, camping outside or packing into shelters as they waited for the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether and when to lift pandemic-era restrictions that have prevented many from seeking asylum. The limits on...
Kremlin warns more U.S. arms to Ukraine will aggravate war
KYIV, Ukraine — The Kremlin warned Wednesday that increasing the supply of U.S. arms to Ukraine would aggravate the devastating 10-month war ignited by Russia’s invasion, and Russia’s defense minister called for expanding Moscow’s military by at least 500,000 people. Speaking during a meeting with his top military brass, Russian...
Zelenskyy to Congress: Against all odds Ukraine still standsVideo
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that “against all odds” Ukraine still stands, as he paid a defiant wartime visit to Washington to thank U.S. leaders and “ordinary Americans” for their support in fighting off Russia’s invasion and pledged there would be “no compromises” in trying to bring...
U.S. home sales fell in November, the 10th consecutive month
LOS ANGELES — The housing market slump deepened in November as sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed for the tenth consecutive month — the longest such stretch on records going back to 1999. Existing home sales fell 7.7% last month from October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of...
Musk says Twitter in precarious position, defends cost cuts
SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk is defending his massive cost-cutting at Twitter as necessary for the social media platform to survive next year, due in part to debt payments tied to his $44 billion takeover of the company. “This company is like, basically, you’re in a plane that is headed...
Russian military to reach 1.5M; Putin vows to win in Ukraine
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin described the fighting in Ukraine as a “tragedy” but vowed to pursue his campaign there until its goals are reached, while his defense chief on Wednesday announced a plan to increase Russia’s military from 1 million personnel to 1.5 million. Speaking at a meeting...
Afghan women weep as Taliban fighters enforce university ban
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban security forces in the Afghan capital on Wednesday enforced a higher education ban for women by blocking their access to universities, with video obtained by The Associated Press showing women weeping and consoling each other outside one campus in Kabul. The country’s Taliban rulers a day...
Idaho police still seek car seen near slain students’ homeVideo
BOISE — Idaho Police investigating the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students say they’re working with law enforcement in Eugene, Ore., to determine if a white sedan that was found on the side of the road there is related to the Idaho case. Relatively few details have been...
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy preparing to visit D.C. to address to Congress, meet Biden
WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing to visit Washington on Wednesday, according to three AP sources, in his first known trip outside the country since Russia’s invasion began in February. Two congressional sources and one person familiar with the matter confirmed plans for the visit. They spoke on...
U.S. braces for dangerous blast of cold, wind and snowVideo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A large of swath of the U.S. braced for a dangerous mix of sub-zero temperatures, howling wind and blizzard conditions scheduled to arrive Wednesday and disrupt plans for millions of holiday travelers. The blast of frigid weather arriving on the first day of winter will hammer...
Holocaust survivors share message of hope during Hanukkah
BERLIN — Holocaust survivors from around the globe are marking the third day of Hanukkah together with a virtual ceremony as Jews worldwide worry about a sharp increase in antisemitism in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. Several dozen survivors also gathered in-person Tuesday for a menorah lighting at Jerusalem’s Western...
Postal Service pledges move to all-electric delivery fleet
WASHINGTON — In a major boost for President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate gas-powered vehicles from the sprawling federal fleet, the Postal Service said Tuesday it will sharply increase the number of electric-powered delivery trucks — and will go all-electric for new purchases starting in 2026. The post office said...
Taliban says women banned from universities in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — Women are banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said Tuesday, the latest edict cracking down on their rights and freedoms. The decision was announced after a meeting of the Taliban government. Despite initially promising...
Elon Musk says he’ll be Twitter CEO until a replacement is found
Elon Musk said Tuesday that he plans on remaining as Twitter’s CEO until he can find someone willing to replace him in the job. Musk’s announcement came after millions of Twitter users him asked to step down in an unscientific poll the billionaire himself created and promised to abide by....
