U.S./World category, Page 49
U.S. home sales remained sluggish in August despite late-summer mortgage rate slide
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained sluggish in August, even as a late-summer slide in mortgage rates brought home loan borrowing costs to a 10-month low. Existing home sales slipped 0.2% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4 million units, the National Association of...
Gaza-bound flotilla says it was attacked by drones; Italy and Spain send help
ATHENS, Greece — Activists in a flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones south of Greece, prompting Spain and Italy to send navy vessels for possible rescues. The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the night...
Paris court rules former President Sarkozy will have to go to prison even if he appeals
PARIS — A Paris court sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to 5 years in prison and — in a major surprise — said he’ll be incarcerated even if he appeals, after finding him guilty Thursday in his trial for alleged illegal campaign financing by Libya. Sarkozy said he was...
Ukrainians cautious after Trump shifts stance, saying they can win the war against Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainians were cautious Wednesday in their response to a surprise pivot in U.S. President Donald Trump’s views on their prospects for defeating Russia’s invasion, after he said they could win the three-year war and retake land captured by Moscow. Russian officials, meanwhile, said developments on the battlefield...
Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at U.N. and Secret Service is looking into the matter
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was the victim of “three very sinister events” during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues. The president was attending the U.N. General Assembly, where he gave a speech...
Judge rules feds can’t require states to cooperate on immigration to get disaster money
BOSTON — A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Wednesday that it’s unconstitutional to require states to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get funding for disasters, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general in May filed a federal...
Justice Department to try to charge ex-FBI Director James Comey
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict former FBI Director James Comey on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter. Officials are hoping...
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...
Statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein removed from National Mall
First, it was the giant poop emoji statue. Now, it’s a statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. The new 12-foot-tall, spray-painted bronze statue was titled “Best Friends Forever,” and it appeared on the National Mall in front...
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...
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...
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...
