WASHINGTON (AP) — People who rely on employer-sponsored health insurance paid more for their coverage this year, with employees at small businesses and their employers especially squeezed by the surging costs, according to a new survey by healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The 2026 Employer Health Benefits Survey, released Thursday, found that covered workers were paying […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Regardless of the outcome in the coming election, a new AP-NORC poll shows voters from both major political parties want the next Congress to focus on making life more affordable and ending the war in Iran, while fewer are looking for an emphasis on President Donald Trump — whether it’s investigating him […]
A single figure sets Venezuela apart from the rest of the world: 303 billion barrels of so-called proven oil reserves. But experts say the country’s estimate is inherently problematic and far from proven — rooted in exaggerated, aging data from a corrupt government. The number has long been touted by politicians and investors as an […]
Advocates for greater voter identification requirements are pursuing a new approach in some states: a mandate to place driver’s license or partial Social Security numbers on mail-in ballots. Variations of the voter ID proposals are being decided in the midterm elections in California, Colorado and Nevada — three states where conservative activists collected petition signatures […]
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries listened from the front row at the old Ohio church as the Sunday congregation heard of scripture’s guidance for calming a gathering storm. “Wind, hush!” the speaker advised, describing the power to bring about change. Jeffries nodded along, the words resonating beyond the church’s soaring brick walls, […]
Coffee, energy drinks and soda are not the only ways young people are getting their caffeine fix. Another product catching the attention of health experts, school officials and parents doesn’t come in a cup or a can. It comes in a pouch. Caffeine pouches, small packets placed in the mouth between the lip and gum, […]
Seven oil tankers caught fire or were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz overnight after being hit by Iran or striking naval mines, Tehran said Thursday, a markedly high number as tensions wind upward over concerns about a return to all-out war. With days before Israel’s close elections in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could […]
RUPERT, Vt. (AP) — Carrying a large pump spray bottle and a small, sturdy brush, Caitlin Abrams stood before two starkly contrasting graves in a modest cemetery in western Vermont. Overcast skies hung low over a nearby hillside in full autumn color. Last year, Abrams had delicately cleaned the tombstone of Mary Bailey, who died […]
LONDON (AP) — Six women who accuse Russell Brand of sexually assaulting and raping them in separate instances have described during a London trial their encounters with the British actor and comedian. The women, who don’t know each other, allege they were assaulted by Brand between 1999 and 2009 in locations including workplaces, a hotel […]
Asian shares and U.S. futures retreated on Thursday as oil prices jumped more than 2% following a report by Iran’s state television that seven oil tankers caught fire and were damaged in the Strait of Hormuz. If the report is verified, it would be the largest number of vessels damaged in the waterway in a […]
Russia prides itself on its digital advances — from an extensive e-commerce services sector to ambitious plans for developing artificial intelligence. But now, some of the key data centers at the heart of its technical prowess have been knocked out by Ukrainian drone attacks in the 4 1/2-year-old full-scale invasion, suffering damage that could take […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After Ashley Hinson dropped off her boys at school earlier this month, she saw the initials “DJT” flash on her phone. “’Ashley, it’s your favorite president,’” Iowa’s Republican nominee for U.S. Senate recently recounted to an audience of her supporters. “That’s how he introduced himself.” She had had a more […]
Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday in the trial of a man accused of killing a North Carolina college student 14 years ago. Faith Hedgepeth was a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when she was beaten to death in her off-campus apartment in September 2012. Miguel Salguero Olivares was […]
PARIS (AP) — Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, has entered the final stretch of his decade-long presidency as France faces a wave of intense protests, with little sign he can prevent a candidate from the political extremes from succeeding him. On the eve of a major protest planned for Oct. 17, he was photographed at a […]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — If Deb Haaland wins New Mexico’s race for governor this year, she’ll make history as the first Native American woman to lead a state. But first she has to convince New Mexicans that they should keep Democrats in charge. The state persistently ranks near the bottom nationally on poverty, crime and […]
NEW YORK (AP) — The horse-drawn carriages that have cruised through Central Park for more than 150 years are set to be banished soon from New York City, ending an iconic tradition beloved by tourists but long opposed by animal welfare activists. For the carriage drivers, it’s unclear what comes next. “No one can come […]
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar will move out of her Washington, D.C., home that federal agents searched last week, she said Wednesday, noting that attention brought on by the raid has made her feel unsafe there. Federal authorities are investigating potential fraud in her family’s immigration paperwork and have issued grand jury subpoenas to some of […]
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall said Wednesday that Ukraine’s war with Russia — and not the U.S. war with Iran — was to blame for high diesel prices that have imperiled his party’s control of Congress in the midterm elections. The answer, delivered during a debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor who supported President Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 loss in the battleground state said Wednesday he did it because of concerns with election funding from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. “One of the reasons that I did that is ‘ Zuckerbucks,’” U.S. Rep. Tom […]
Video game publisher Electronic Arts is shutting down the popular and influential game development studio BioWare after more than three decades. The upcoming “Mass Effect” game, the fifth since 2007, has been canceled. BioWare announced the closure on social media Wednesday following a report by Bloomberg that also said the company is laying off 400 […]
CLINTON, Miss. (AP) — A fire broke out at a senior living facility in Mississippi on Wednesday evening, forcing residents to evacuate. Firefighters were battling the blaze at Brookdale senior living in Clinton. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but authorities were not yet certain whether all the residents were accounted for. The “majority […]
PHOENIX (AP) — Hail the size of golf balls and damaging wind gusts pounded northern and central Arizona in a rare storm blowing through, bringing with it tornado risks and possible flash floods. The National Weather Service issued multiple warnings as severe thunderstorms moved through the state overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday, encouraging people to […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers clashed in their final Senate debate Wednesday, with El-Sayed trying to tie his opponent to President Donald Trump and Rogers saying his rival’s progressive policies would be too extreme for Michigan. The debate kicked off a breakneck final stretch in one of the nation’s most […]
The University of Arizona has suspended a fraternity’s activities after a female student alleged two men sexually assaulted her at the fraternity’s house in August. The Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at the southern Arizona school was already on probation, but the university said it has now imposed an activities suspension, stating the fraternity poses a […]
