National News

FILE - A Medicare Advantage PPO card rests on top of a Medicare card in Portland, Ore., June 10, 20...

Trump’s $90 Medicare rebate rolls out, but millions are left out. Critics say it’s a political stunt

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his administration will make one-time payments of $90 per person to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees pay for their Part B premiums. It will cost about $2 billion. Less than one-third of all Medicare recipients are eligible for the payments, which are expected to be sent […]
28 days ago

FBI says it thwarted an attack on the Mall of America by a teen it supplied with an assault rifle

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI thwarted an attack on the Mall of America by a teenager after agents supplied him with an assault rifle, authorities announced Wednesday. The 18-year-old had been under investigation for nearly two years, trading messages with a confidential informant, before agents sold him the rifle and ammunition, according to a federal […]
28 days ago
In this frame grab from video, Miguel Salguero-Olivares, who is on trial for the murder and rape of...

Trial begins for a man accused of killing UNC student Faith Hedgepeth 14 years ago

The trial of a man accused of killing a North Carolina college student 14 years ago began Wednesday with the prosecution alleging she was killed in a fit of rage by a stranger who left his DNA all over the crime scene. The defense said the evidence doesn’t add up. Miguel Salguero Olivares is charged […]
28 days ago
In this photo provided by Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade press service, A Ukrainian serviceman l...

Senators push the Trump administration to act swiftly on Russian sanctions to help Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly a month after President Donald Trump signed a sweeping Russian sanctions bill named after Lindsey Graham into law, bipartisan leadership in the Senate is urging the administration to clamp down more quickly on the flow of financial resources fueling the war against Ukraine. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent […]
28 days ago
FILE - This photo provided by the U.S. Department of Justice shows a vial of pentobarbital used in ...

Christa Pike survived 2 doses of an execution drug. How is that possible?

Christa Pike regaining consciousness and speaking a week after receiving two doses of execution drugs in Tennessee has left a stunning question: How did she survive? Attorneys for Pike, 50, called her recovery “medically unprecedented” after she was placed on a ventilator following the bungled Sept. 30 attempt to make her the first woman put […]
28 days ago

University of Arizona suspends fraternity activities as reports of misconduct persist

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The University of Arizona has suspended activities at its fraternities following persistent reports of misconduct, including assault, hazing and drug and alcohol-related behavior, a university official said. Just seven weeks into the fall semester, the university’s Dean of Students Office was investigating multiple misconduct reports involving nearly half the school’s Interfraternity […]
28 days ago
FILE - Members of the National Guard assist storm-damaged business The Marina with moving and pilin...

Before a natural disaster, a governor’s order can free up the National Guard and medical help

Before a big weather event even happens — like a hurricane, flood, or snowstorm — government officials in the United States have the power to call for a state of emergency, a fast-track way to free up resources to help with public safety during an anticipated natural disaster. In a state, a governor usually signs […]
28 days ago
FILE - A Morehouse College student lines up before the school commencement, May 19, 2024, in Atlant...

Trump administration proposes a $70,000 fee for international students to work in the US

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States, the latest effort from the Trump administration to crack down on foreign enrollment. A proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for every student who participates in the optional […]
28 days ago
A woman with her child walks past the building of the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Sib...

Russia keeps a tight lid on suspected case of pneumonic plague as global concerns mount

Russian authorities are keeping a tight lid on information about last week’s suspicious death of a lab worker in Siberia that has been surrounded by secrecy and claims that it could have been caused by pneumonic plague. While the case has raised global concerns, Russian state TV and other national state-controlled media have steered clear […]
28 days ago
President Donald Trump speaks at an event for Anduril Industries, Inc., at Sparrows Point Shipyard,...

The Latest: Trump doesn’t commit to repaying federal funds already spent on controversial ads

A day after President Donald Trump said he would start paying for controversial taxpayer-funded ads with a campaign account, there’s no sign he plans to refund the millions of federal dollars already spent on them. A White House official insisting on anonymity said Trump’s promises don’t mean there’s any reimbursement coming for the $12 million […]
28 days ago
Katherine Beeson, left, and Ana Roldan, right, take ambient light measurements as part of buckwheat...

Enthusiasts hope the organic farm staple buckwheat can reach more fields and tables

PENN YAN, N.Y. (AP) — Buckwheat crops sway in the breeze as bees bop between the plants’ tiny white flowers. Underneath, small seeds begin to darken, a sign that harvest nears. Paige Hansen leans down, holding between her fingers the plant whose seeds could soon turn into one of her food products. “That diversity of […]
28 days ago
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Depres...

Tropical Storm Isaias forms, forecast to become a hurricane and hit the US Gulf Coast this week

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday in the warm waters off eastern Mexico and forecasters said it was expected to strengthen into a hurricane and hit the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. Isaias was located about 285 miles (460 kilometers) west of Progreso, Mexico, and about 580 miles (935 kilometers) […]
29 days ago
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., waves during the 30th annual Glen Allen Day parade on Saturday, Sept. 19, ...

In Virginia, Democrat hoping to oust Republican tests anti-corruption message echoing around country

HAYES, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman may have spent nearly two decades in Congress, but the Republican is emphasizing the humbler parts of his resume while running for another term this year. His advertisements talk about his work in a tomato cannery and on a fishing boat, and how he commutes to Washington […]
29 days ago

Christa Pike is awake and able to speak despite execution attempt in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Christa Pike has regained consciousness and is able to speak after Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her by lethal injection last week while her attorneys were in court Wednesday to request more information about what went wrong. Pike, 50, survived even after executioners tried to give her two lethal doses of […]
29 days ago

Asian stocks mostly fall back despite latest earnings-driven rally on Wall Street

Shares mostly retreated in Asia on Wednesday after U.S. stocks hit all-time highs, lifted by expectations of fat corporate earnings. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices advanced. In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.9% to 70,284.81, while the Kospi in South Korea also shed 0.9%, to 6,876.76. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.6% […]
29 days ago
This photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Jamaal Howard on Oct. 28, 202...

Texas set to execute man for fatally shooting a convenience store clerk during robbery in 2000

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas man who fatally shot a convenience store clerk is set to die by lethal injection on Wednesday in what would be the nation’s 30th execution this year. Jamaal Howard, 46, was found guilty of capital murder in the 2000 killing of Vickie Swartout, 42, who was shot once in the […]
29 days ago
Axel Rodríguez Olivas, center, and Blanier Bojorquez, left, warm up with other University of Nevad...

With violins, trumpets and the guitarrón, Las Vegas is training the mariachi educators of tomorrow

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Axel Rodríguez Olivas nervously steps on stage, carrying a violin. He raises his bow and begins to play, his nerves melting away. Mariachi music explodes throughout the room as violins, trumpets, the guitarrón, and a stringed instrument called the vihuela launch into an upbeat melody. There they are joined by a […]
29 days ago
President Donald Trump dances at a campaign rally at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center, Monday, Oct. 5,...

Can $1 billion buy victory in the midterm elections? Some Republicans fear the answer is no

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are entering the final month of the midterm campaign increasingly anxious that the $1 billion at their disposal may not be enough to fend off sweeping losses as the party reckons with President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, persistent cost concerns and the fallout from the war in Iran. The cash advantage, spread […]
29 days ago
FILE - A visitor walks past portraits of DC Comics superheroes as she enters the "Action and Magic ...

Skydance now runs two of Hollywood’s legacy film studios. A look at the new company, by the numbers

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance has completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing two of Hollywood’s most storied legacy film studios under one mammoth media and entertainment conglomerate named Skydance. Now, Skydance must decide how to make the most out of a trove of entertainment assets, including the HBO Max and Paramount+ video streaming services, […]
29 days ago
This combination of photos shows Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington, lef...

In first Maine Senate debate, Collins seeks to distance herself from Trump

Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins distanced herself from President Donald Trump during her first Maine Senate debate with Democrat Troy Jackson, arguing she has maintained her political independence by repeatedly voting against Trump’s agenda and saying that she’s “not exactly his favorite senator.” Democrats are trying to flip the Maine Senate seat as they work […]
29 days ago
FILE - This undated photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff's Department shows former Army psychi...

Firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan scheduled for December

WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting secretary of the U.S. Army said Tuesday that the man convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, will be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3. In a post on social media, acting Secretary Adam Telle said the execution of Army Maj. Nidal […]
29 days ago

Dolly Parton’s multifaceted legacy showcased at Nashville museum and hotel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dolly Parton’s longtime creative director, Steve Summers, designed hundreds of dresses and outfits for the late singer and entertainer every year, so he saw her in many stages of her career. “Every person in here has a different Dolly Parton that they are in love with,” Summers told a crowd of […]
29 days ago

Personal information for over 1 million people stolen in a cyberattack on Arizona’s court system

PHOENIX (AP) — A cyberattack on Arizona’s court system stole personal information for more than a million people and is believed to have started when a court employee clicked a malicious link in an email. The Arizona Supreme Court said the information was copied for 1.3 million people with unpaid court fees, fines and restitution […]
29 days ago
Demonstrators march during a protest against Cornell University's handling of the 2024 fraternity-h...

Students turn on Cornell’s president over the school’s handling of gang rape allegations

ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — Some of the students outraged by Cornell University’s handling of an alleged fraternity house gang rape are directing their ire at the school’s president, a longtime molecular physiology professor who has faced several crises since taking the top job. Michael Kotlikoff was Cornell’s longest-serving provost before assuming the presidency on an […]
29 days ago