National News

FILE - A firefighter monitors flames caused by the Hughes Fire along Castaic Lake in Castaic, Calif...

Study finds that dangerous days when weather is prone to fire soaring around the world

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows. And more than half of that increase is caused […]
7 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks as White House pardon czar Alice Johnson listens during a Black Histo...

Trump, weeks after backlash over racist post, hosts Black History Month reception

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump hosted a White House reception for Black History Month on Wednesday, less than two weeks after he sparked a bipartisan outcry by posting a racist video on social media that depicted former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, as primates in a jungle. Trump on Wednesday didn’t […]
7 months ago
FILE - A DoorDash sign is posted on the door of a Dunkin' Donuts franchise, Feb. 27, 2023, in Methu...

DoorDash sees strong quarterly growth in sales and orders but warns of big costs

DoorDash said Wednesday its revenue rose 38% in the fourth quarter as it gained new U.S. customers and added new services like restaurant reservations. But investors may be more focused on the cost of new projects, including the development of autonomous delivery robots and tests of drone delivery. DoorDash’s stock fell 3% in after-hours trading […]
7 months ago
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York, Tuesda...

Mamdani reboots homeless encampment sweeps in New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city will resume clearing makeshift homeless encampments, promising to take a more humane approach to a practice he previously criticized. Mamdani paused the previous mayor’s policy for clearing encampments days after he took office in January, arguing that it did not do enough […]
7 months ago
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Sp...

A look at the deadliest avalanches in US history

Eight backcountry skiers were found dead and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, authorities said Wednesday. The avalanche in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the deadliest in U.S. history. Here’s a look at the others: 1910: Wellington, Washington — 96 killed A massive wall of snow swept two Great […]
7 months ago
california avalanche winter storm rescuers missing...
BROOKE HESS-HOMEIER, JULIE WATSON AND JOHN SEEWER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

8 backcountry skiers found dead, 1 still missing after California avalanche

Crews found the bodies of eight backcountry skiers and are searching for one more who remains missing after an avalanche in the mountains near Lake Tahoe.
7 months ago
High‑Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri, right, speaks during a news conference accompanied by ...

California high-speed rail chief takes leave after arrest over domestic violence allegations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The top official at a California agency running the state’s long-delayed bullet train project is taking a leave of absence after he was arrested earlier this month over allegations of domestic violence. Ian Choudri, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, was arrested Feb. 4 in the city of Folsom outside […]
7 months ago
The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)Credit...

Jury to get tax-evasion case against Supreme Court lawyer who became high-stakes poker player

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — As an attorney, Thomas Goldstein routinely argued cases before the Supreme Court and published a popular blog about the nation’s highest court. Unbeknownst to friends and colleagues, Goldstein also became an ultra-high-stakes poker player who grossed tens of millions of dollars in winnings but racked up a staggering gambling debt. The […]
7 months ago
Gryphon Orfanos, who in the past worked on the fishing vessel "Lily Jean", stands on the pier of th...

Authorities are using deep-sea tech to try find the sunken fishing boat off Massachusetts

GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A coalition of authorities is deploying technology to try to locate the wreck of a fishing boat that sank last month off Massachusetts, killing all seven aboard. But winter weather and sea conditions have thus far slowed their efforts. The 72-foot (22-meter) vessel Lily Jean was returning to port early Jan. […]
7 months ago

Transportation Department says more than 550 driving schools should close over safety failures

More than 550 commercial driving schools in the U.S. that train truckers and bus drivers must close after investigators found they employed unqualified instructors, failed to adequately test students and other safety issues, the federal Transportation Department plans to announce Wednesday. This is the Transportation Department’s latest effort to improve safety in the trucking industry. […]
7 months ago
FILE - The Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, talks to Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant during warmups befor...

Sports helped shape Jesse Jackson’s career and inspired the ex-quarterback to fight for equal rights

The Rev. Jesse Jackson stood mesmerized on the baseline, intently watching the Chicago Bulls warm up before an NBA playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. He was comfortable and at ease in an atmosphere that clearly offered a familiar environment for the civil rights leader. Jackson, who died on Tuesday at age 84, was an […]
7 months ago

Nation’s only unsalaried legislature asks voters to reconsider volunteer status as women urge change

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Members of the nation’s only unsalaried legislature are asking voters to reconsider their volunteer status that has endured since statehood in New Mexico. The state Senate on Tuesday night narrowly endorsed a constitutional amendment that would do away with the state’s prohibition on legislative direct compensation. That allows voters to […]
7 months ago
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Ze...

US senators visit key Ukrainian port city as they push for fresh sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — A delegation of U.S. senators was returning Wednesday from a trip to Ukraine, hoping to spur action in Congress for a series of sanctions meant to economically cripple Moscow and pressure President Vladimir Putin to make key concessions in peace talks. It was the first time U.S. senators have visited Odessa, Ukraine’s […]
7 months ago
A street is covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photo/Brooke Hess-Hom...

Backcountry ski trip hit by avalanche led by tour outfit offering mountain adventures globally

The group of 15 was on a three-day trek organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides into pristine backcountry wilderness near Frog Lake in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe. Skiers carried in their own food and overnighted in huts situated at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters). “If you’ve booked the Frog Lake Huts in Truckee, trust […]
7 months ago
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a news conference after a Federal Open Market Com...

Fed minutes: Lower inflation needed before many officials will support rate cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Federal Reserve officials want to see inflation fall further before they would support additional interest rate cuts this year, particularly if the job market continues to stabilize, minutes of last month’s meeting show. The “vast majority” of the 19 participants on the Fed’s rate-setting committee said that there were signs the […]
7 months ago
climate policy trump wa...
Manda Factor

Doctor warns Trump’s climate policy rollback could cost WA $73 billion, harm children’s health

Medical experts are raising alarms about the Trump administration's decision to eliminate a key environmental regulation, warning the move could have far-reaching consequences for public health.
7 months ago
FILE - Jesse Jackson, with his wife Jacqueline, concedes defeat in the Illinois Democratic primary ...

Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential run inspired generations to carry his message

When the Rev. Jesse Jackson announced his second presidential bid in 1988 in Pittsburgh, he saw the campaign as a chance for the country to realize its highest ideals. “If I can become president,” said Jackson, who grew up poor and Black in segregated South Carolina, “every woman can. Every man can. I’m giving America […]
7 months ago
Jesse Jackson, Jr. stands near a picture of his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, during a news confe...

The children of late civil rights leader Jesse Jackson honor his legacy a day after his death

CHICAGO (AP) — From jokes about his well-known stubbornness to tears grieving the loss of a parent, the adult children of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. gave an emotional tribute Wednesday honoring the legacy of the late civil rights icon, a day after his death. Jackson died Tuesday at his home in Chicago after […]
7 months ago
FILE - A cross is silhouetted against a stained glass window inside a Catholic Church in New Orlean...

A look at the largest clergy abuse settlements reached by Catholic organizations in the US

A New Jersey Catholic diocese outside Philadelphia has agreed to pay $180 million in a clergy sexual abuse settlement, the latest in a church scandal set off more than two decades ago. The settlement, which must still be approved by a bankruptcy court, comes after the diocese had fought a state a grand jury investigation […]
7 months ago

Unruly passenger prompts plane’s return to Houston airport just after takeoff

HOUSTON (AP) — A flight returned to a Houston airport just after takeoff early Wednesday because of an unruly passenger, authorities said. There were reports that a male passenger on Flight 2557 from Houston’s Hobby Airport to Atlanta had tried to break into the cockpit, but that wasn’t the case, Delta Air Lines said in […]
7 months ago
FILE - The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is seen in Camden, N.J., April 20, 2022. (AP Phot...

New Jersey Catholic diocese agrees to $180 million settlement of clergy sexual abuse allegations

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey Catholic diocese this week agreed to a $180 million settlement to resolve allegations of clergy sexual abuse, a figure far exceeding agreements in some large dioceses but still dwarfed by other massive settlements. Bishop Joseph Williams of the Diocese of Camden, covering southern New Jersey and its Philadelphia […]
7 months ago
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn to the White House after...

UN Security Council to hold high-level meeting on Gaza before Trump’s Board of Peace convenes

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is set to hold a high-level meeting Wednesday on the Gaza ceasefire deal and Israel’s efforts to expand control in the West Bank before world leaders head to Washington to discuss the future of the Palestinian territories at the first gathering of President Donald Trump’s Board of […]
7 months ago
In this photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te speaks du...

Why Trump’s comment on discussing Taiwan arms sales with China has raised concerns

U.S. President Donald Trump’s comment that he is discussing potential arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping is raising concerns in Taipei as the island democracy relies on U.S. backing in the face of China ’s territorial claims. On Monday, Trump told journalists he is discussing the potential sales with the Chinese leader, […]
7 months ago
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, in view of Independence Hall, departs after inspecting the locati...

Trump administration appeals order to restore George Washington slavery exhibit in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Trump Administration will appeal a federal judge’s order to restore a Philadelphia exhibit on the nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former home on Independence Mall. The Justice Department insists the administration alone can decide what stories are told at National Park Service properties. Park service workers last month […]
7 months ago