Politics

FILE - The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is pictured off the coast of Argentina, May 30, 2...

US aircraft carrier arrives in Middle East, relieving long-deployed USS Lincoln

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday, relieving a long-deployed carrier following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war. U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said […]
2 months ago

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers release 2 U.N. staff members more than a week after detaining them

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have released two United Nations staff members who they detained more than a week ago, the U.N. said Thursday, adding that the reason for the two men’s detention remains unclear. The arrests were the latest in a series of detentions by Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. Last week, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch […]
2 months ago

US sends 20 deportees to Liberia, part of 1,200 migrants the country will receive under new deal

HARBEL, Liberia (AP) — The United States sent 20 deportees to Liberia, who arrived on Thursday as part of 1,200 migrants that the African country will receive under a new deal. The deportees arrived at the Roberts International Airport outside Monrovia. The Liberia-U.S. agreement is among the largest third-country deportations driven by the Trump administration’s […]
2 months ago

Quebec’s premier says Canada-US trade talks are ‘far from over’

TORONTO (AP) — Quebec’s premier said Canada-U.S. trade negotiations are “far from over” and demanded more information from Prime Minister Mark Carney before deciding whether an emerging agreement adequately protects Quebec’s dairy and forestry sectors. Premier Christine Fréchette also pushed back against quickly restoring U.S. alcohol to provincial stores, saying Quebec alone would decide whether […]
2 months ago
Soldiers participate in the annual Han Kuang military exercises in Yilan, northeastern Taiwan, Mond...

Why Taiwan and the South China Sea matter to the US and the world

When U.S. Sen. Darline Graham struggled to answer in a debate whether the U.S. has a national security interest in Taiwan and the South China Sea, she drew criticism for saying national security was “not my thing.” Taiwan and the South China Sea have long been major issues in U.S. foreign policy, and tensions involving […]
2 months ago
FILE - The Boston harbor and the city skyline are photographed, Oct. 28, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo...

Democrats narrow their list of 2028 presidential convention sites to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia

Democrats on Thursday narrowed the list of potential host cities for their 2028 presidential convention to Boston, Denver and Philadelphia as their party looks ahead to a wide-open primary to succeed President Donald Trump. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement the cities put forward “incredibly strong bids,” and he promised the […]
2 months ago
U.S. Army soldiers try to dismantle a floating bridge during a training exercise on a river in Yeon...

North Korea fires an unidentified projectile off its east coast, South Korea says

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off the North’s east coast, the Yonhap News Agency reported. Yonhap cited South Korea’s military as saying the launch happened Thursday. The reported launch happened a day after the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shrugged off U.S. […]
2 months ago
A man waves an Iranian flag during a pro-government gathering at a square in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday,...

A quiet channel between ICE and Iran shaped deportation flights, newly released emails show

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. immigration officials worked with Iran to deport Iranians in 2025, newly released emails show, revealing a working relationship between the U.S. and Iranian governments despite tensions mounting between the countries. Hundreds of emails exchanged between U.S. immigration officials, which were obtained by the National Iranian American Council and made public […]
2 months ago
FILE - Protesters against a Missouri congressional redistricting plan gather outside the Missouri C...

Missouri court allows new Trump-backed US House districts be used in November election

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has allowed new U.S. House districts backed by President Donald Trump to be used in the November elections, rejecting a bid by to put the Republican-friendly districts to a statewide vote of the people. The ruling Wednesday by Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green is a victory […]
2 months ago
A sign in support of a proposed constitutional amendment backed by the group Respect Missouri Voter...

Missouri court rejects petition proposing protections for laws passed by citizen initiative

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri court has rejected a request to let voters decide in November whether to erect some of the nation’s strongest protections for laws passed by citizen initiative. The ruling Wednesday by a Cole County judge upholds a decision by Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who had blocked the […]
2 months ago

The US national debt now stands at $40 trillion

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 […]
2 months ago
FILE - The Pentagon is seen from the air, July 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Fil...

Longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes to retire, citing differences with Pentagon leadership

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 […]
2 months ago
FILE - Dr. Erica Schwartz testifies during a Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee c...

New CDC director acknowledges agency problems in first large staff meeting

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 […]
2 months ago
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, left, and United States Trade Representative Jamieson G...

Trump says US and Canada have a trade deal, but key terms remain unclear

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 […]
2 months ago
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief ...

UN aid chief warns Russian drones threaten civilians and aid work in Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The intensifying use of drones against civilians and humanitarian workers is a dangerous obstacle for aid operations in Ukraine, the U.N.’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said on Wednesday. Fletcher spoke to The Associated Press in an interview after a visit to the southern city of Kherson, where he witnessed how communities […]
2 months ago

FTC proposal would require retailers to be transparent about personalized pricing

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 […]
2 months ago
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent walks past reporters following an interview with Fox News outside ...

An alarmed bond market gets the Trump administration to act again

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 […]
2 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks on the South Lawn of the White House at the construction site of the ...

Trump plays White House tour guide to show off work on his helipad and ballroom

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 […]
2 months ago
Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, speaks during a meeting ...

Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, to lead FDA

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 […]
2 months ago
FILE - State Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Fla., speaks loudly on the House floor as the House votes on HB1D,...

Democratic socialist Angie Nixon won Tuesday’s primary in Florida. Can she win in November?

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 […]
2 months ago
A police vehicle is parked on a sidewalk, on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026...

UN rights chief is concerned about arrest of opposition figures in Zambia’s election

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The United Nations human rights chief said Wednesday he is concerned over the arrest of opposition officials in connection with last week’s troubled election in Zambia. Zambian law enforcement agents raided a property on election night last Thursday where the country’s main opposition leader was present and there was […]
2 months ago
FILE - Former FBI Director James Comey speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Cap...

‘No serious dispute’ that Comey’s seashell post could be read as a Trump threat, prosecutors say

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 […]
2 months ago
People spend time at a beach as commercial vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar ...

United Arab Emirates suspends trade with Iran after coming under renewed missile fire

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade with Iran on Wednesday after it said it had come under renewed fire from the country — a move that will further isolate the Islamic Republic, which is suffering under U.S. sanctions and a blockade. Incoming ballistic missile fire triggered nationwide warnings […]
2 months ago
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, arrives to wave signs at an intersection during morning rush hour in A...

Sen. Sullivan, former US Rep Peltola begin Alaska US Senate campaign after advancing from primary

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 […]
2 months ago