WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit to make up an enormous share of federal spending. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record […]
The longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes has announced his retirement, ending a decades-long career with the military newspaper as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon moves to exert editorial control and eliminate what it asserts are “woke distractions.” Max D. Lederer Jr. announced his retirement, effective at the end of September, in a memo to […]
NEW YORK (AP) — In her first large staff meeting, the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promised Wednesday to advocate for the agency while acknowledging that congressionally funded programs lacked staff and employees were feeling burned out. Dr. Erica Schwartz also said she wouldn’t hesitate to disagree with U.S. Health […]
PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Lindsay Clancy didn’t appreciate the “wrongfulness” of killing her three children because of her mental health issues, a psychologist testifying for the defense said at her murder trial Wednesday. The testimony of Dr. Paul Zeizel is the strongest evidence yet to support the defense contentions that Clancy should not be held […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Canada has dodged President Donald Trump’s threat of 50% tariffs — at least for now. Trump went on social media late Tuesday to say he was pausing for three days the taxes on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports less than two hours before they were set to go into effect. Speaking […]
OAKLAND, California (AP) — A former engineering director at Meta who has testified before Congress about child safety on Instagram told jurors Wednesday at a landmark trial that the company took a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach on kids under 13 on its platforms. During his second day of testimony, Arturo Béjar said Meta consistently […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles district attorney has backed off felony charges against a police officer who secretly recorded his colleagues making racist remarks after facing criticism the response was too harsh and could deter whistleblowers from coming forward. Los Angeles Police Officer Daniel Flores was charged in July with 16 felonies after […]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The mission to save NASA’s sinking Swift Observatory was called off Wednesday, dooming the telescope to a fiery reentry later this year. NASA and Katalyst Space Technologies announced the news more than a month after the startup’s Link spacecraft rocketed away to the telescope’s rescue. Katalyst said Link will not […]
Companies that secretly vary prices based on how much they think individual customers will pay could face federal charges under a proposed policy released Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission. “When consumers see a listed price, they expect it to be same price that everyone else sees, not the retailer’s estimate of how much they […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Normally quiet, the bond market can occasionally send warning signals loud enough to hit stock markets worldwide and even grab the attention of U.S. presidents and other world leaders. After the bond market’s alarm bells rose in volume through the summer, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday a move that could […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump played White House tour guide on Wednesday, showing off the helipad he is building on the lawn before leaning over to autograph a piece of it and bragging about the ballroom he’s rushing to complete despite legal challenges. Trump gushed for several uninterrupted minutes about granite being laid and […]
Dramatic body camera footage shows nine members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force falling to the ground as a second-story wooden deck they were standing on suddenly collapses. The video shows the deck collapsing on July 21 as the officers, several holding firearms, stand in a line just outside an apartment door in Huntsville, […]
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Eclipses may be wondrous, but nothing beats seeing the northern and southern lights from space. That’s the word Wednesday from a pair of NASA astronauts living aboard the International Space Station for the past six months. Astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway told The Associated Press that the space station’s […]
Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, has been picked to lead the Food and Drug Administration, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. As a medical doctor and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council who has worked on several of Trump’s second-term health initiatives, Overton has become a trusted figure in the […]
Florida Democratic voters delivered another shock upset to the party establishment by nominating state Rep. Angie Nixon, a democratic socialist, over Alex Vindman, a moderate former national security professional who played a central role in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Democrats have hoped to mount a comeback in the diverse, populous and economically dynamic state […]
Adoptions are on hold for thousands of dogs and cats in Texas, potentially putting the animals at risk of being euthanized, because of efforts to stop the spread of the New World screwworm, an insect that has crossed the border from Mexico into the United States for the first time in 60 years. The flesh-eating […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is defending its prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, saying “there is no serious dispute” that a social media post of seashells he made last year could be understood as a threat against President Donald Trump. Prosecutors also called into question Comey’s account that he had found the […]
WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — Police investigating the death of an off-duty police officer in Massachusetts in what they called a domestic matter are searching for a woman who co-founded a group that focuses on suicide and mental health issues among first responders. The officer, a 31-year veteran, was found dead at a home in Worcester, […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Target reported its second straight quarter of comparable sales gains on Wednesday, saying a merchandising overhaul under the retailer’s new CEO is attracting more customers and boosting sales throughout its stores. Comparable sales — those coming from stores and digital channels operating for at least 12 months —rose 3.8% in the […]
Millions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities. Customers could receive the drone deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes, Amazon said […]
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola wasted no time preparing for their general election campaign after Tuesday’s primary in Alaska, criticizing each other’s records and previewing the next phase of a high-stakes Senate race that has drawn national attention. With control of the chamber on the […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Darline Graham, who is competing in next week’s runoff election in South Carolina, stumbled over a question about foreign policy in a debate on Tuesday night. “Are Taiwan and the South China Sea national security issues for the United States and if so, why or how?” asked one of the moderators. […]
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors in Charlie Kirk ‘s killing pointed Tuesday to an engraved bullet, arguing that the inscription “Hey Facist! CATCH!” demonstrates that Kirk was targeted for how the defendant perceived his politics. Whether defendant Tyler Robinson acted out of political animus could be key for prosecutors seeking the death penalty — […]
HONOLULU (AP) — The death toll in Hawaii from Lala rose to two with the discovery of a man’s body near a highway, while efforts continued to remove massive amounts of debris left behind by the storm while the number of homes and businesses without electricity dwindled. The remains of the man in his 60s […]
