Pentagon adds exemptions to requirement for all troops to get the flu shot
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has stepped back from the policy that requires all troops to get the flu shot every year by introducing exemptions for reservists and proclaiming that the shot is only necessary in some circumstances for all service members, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press....
Federal judge refuses to reinstate 8 former inspectors general fired by Trump administration
WASHINGTON — A federal judge refused on Wednesday to reinstate eight former inspectors general who filed a lawsuit after the Trump administration fired them with no warning and little explanation. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said that while President Donald Trump likely violated the federal law governing the process for...
Trump snubs Biden with autopen photo on new Presidential Walk of FameVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one. Instead of a headshot of Joe Biden, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the...
Justice Department official ordered to drop inquiry into Sandy Hook lawsuit against Alex JonesVideo
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has ordered a senior U.S. Justice Department official to drop an inquiry into a retired FBI agent’s involvement in a defamation lawsuit involving Alex Jones’ conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ed Martin Jr.,...
Judge scolds Justice Department over public statements in UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case
NEW YORK — At least two senior Justice Department officials likely broke court rules governing the conduct of prosecutors by reposting comments President Donald Trump made about Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating the CEO at UnitedHealthcare, a federal judge said Wednesday. Judge Margaret M. Garnett said in an...
Trump’s Rose Garden Club is a lavish new hangout for political allies and business elites
WASHINGTON — Washington’s hottest new club has everything — Cabinet secretaries, a new stone patio, food from the White House kitchen and even a playlist curated by President Donald Trump. But good luck getting a spot on the guest list. So far, only some of the president’s political allies, business...
Trump’s touting of an unproven autism drug surprised many, including the doctor who proposed it
WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump’s administration announced it would repurpose an old, generic drug as a new treatment for autism, it came as a surprise to many experts — including the physician who suggested the idea to the nation’s top health officials. Dr. Richard Frye told The Associated Press...
Iran’s president says U.S., Israeli attacks inflicted ‘grievous blow’ on international trust
UNITED NATIONS — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took the stage at the U.N. on Wednesday to blast Israeli and U.S. attacks in June as inflicting “a grievous blow upon international trust and the very prospect of peace in the region.” His comments at the General Assembly are the first time...
Ukraine’s president says the world is in ‘the most destructive arms race in history’
UNITED NATIONS — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told world leaders Wednesday that the world is in “the most destructive arms race in history” and called on the international community to act against Russia now, asserting that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe. “We are now living through...
Florida docs can turn away unvaccinated patients; Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to change that
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In Florida, you can’t turn away a patient on the basis of their race, color, sex, religion or national origin. But a doctor can turn someone away if they’re unvaccinated. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo want to end that. In a news conference earlier...
Dozens injured in remote Ladakh after protesters seeking self-rule clash with India police
SRINAGAR, India — Dozens were injured in the remote Indian region of Ladakh on Wednesday as hundreds of people demanding federal statehood from the Indian government clashed with law enforcement, officials and residents said. Some protesters threw stones at officers as police tried to stop them from marching in the...
1 detainee killed, 2 others critically injured in Dallas ICE facility, Homeland Security says
DALLAS — A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and wounding two others before taking his own life, authorities said. The suspect has been identified by a law enforcement official as...
A trio of space weather satellites blast off together to study the sun’s violent side
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A cluster of space weather satellites blasted off Wednesday morning to cast fresh eyes on solar storms that can produce stunning auroras but also scramble communications and threaten astronauts in flight. The three satellites soared from Kennedy Space Center shortly after sunrise on the same SpaceX...
The economy was a strength for Trump in his 1st term. Not anymore, according to recent polling
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s second-term strengths look different from his first, according to new polling. Once strengthened by economic issues, Trump’s approval is now relatively low on the economy — and he’s leaning on his stronger issues of crime, border security and immigration. Concerns about the economy and immigration...
Democrat Adelita Grijalva wins special election for southern Arizona congressional seat
PHOENIX — Southern Arizona voters on Tuesday chose Adelita Grijalva to succeed her father, the late U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a progressive Democrat who represented the state for more than two decades in Congress. She defeated Republican candidate Daniel Butierez to represent a district that stretches from Yuma to Tucson...
Jimmy Kimmel returns with response to the FCC, free speech and message of compassionVideo
After nearly a week off the air, ABC late night host Jimmy Kimmel returned Tuesday night to “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The program began with a montage of news clips responding to the host’s return. As the late-night show was introduced, the studio audience gave him a lengthy, cheering ovation, with...
What is the Rapture and why is a doomsday prediction spreading on TikTok?
The Rapture is near — at least according to an apocalyptic prophecy by one South African man who says it will fall on Sept. 23 or 24. His claim has gone viral, with some believing it will mark the end times and many more mocking it on social media. “There...
‘Nightmare bacteria’ cases increasing in the U.S.
NEW YORK — Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose almost 70% between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists. Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called NDM gene primarily drove the increase, CDC researchers wrote in an...
North Carolina legislature passes ‘Iryna’s Law’ after refugee’s stabbing death
RALEIGH — In response to the stabbing death of a Ukrainian refugee on Charlotte’s light rail system, the North Carolina legislature gave final approval Tuesday to a criminal justice package that limits bail and seeks to ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations. The Republican-penned bill also could help restart...
After cost-cutting blitz, Trump administration rehires hundreds of laid-off employees
MIAMI — Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work. The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an...
A drone flyover above Copenhagen Airport prompts concerns that Russia was behind itVideo
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Several unidentified drones shut down airspace on Monday night over Copenhagen Airport, prompting concerns that Russia could be behind the flyover above Scandinavia’s largest airport. There was no indication that the operators of two to three drones intended to cause harm to anyone, police said, and the...
Hurricane Narda has formed in the Pacific. In the Atlantic, Gabrielle spurs hurricane watchVideo
MIAMI — Narda was upgraded to a hurricane Tuesday as it strengthened in the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said. Narda had maximum sustained wind of 85 mph, according to an advisory from the Miami-based weather center. The Category 1 hurricane was centered...
Ex-Rep. George Santos complains of ‘torture’ in federal prison
Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos says he’s facing “torture” because he’s imprisoned in a tiny windowless cell in a New Jersey federal prison. The convicted fraudster, a New York Republican who concocted his life story and scammed donors, is complaining that he’s been held in solitary confinement virtually 24...
Trump cancels White House meeting with Schumer and Jeffries despite risk of government shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has abruptly canceled this week’s planned meeting with congressional Democratic leaders, refusing to negotiate over their demands to shore up health care funds as part of a deal to prevent a potential looming federal government shutdown. In a lengthy Tuesday social media post, Trump rejected...
Man who represented himself found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at Florida golf course
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump at a Florida golf course last year tried to stab himself in the neck with a pen shortly after being found guilty of all counts on Tuesday. Officers quickly swarmed him and dragged him out of the courtroom....
