Politics

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he leaves the stage after a media conference at the end of ...

The Latest: US and Iran sign initial deal to end war, ease sanctions and open strait

President Donald Trump has signed an agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries. The White House had planned a […]
2 months ago
A painting by Navajo artist Kee Yazzie is displayed as part of the "Stars, Stripes and First Americ...

Red, white and blue: A strategy for survival as Native Americans navigate 250 years of history

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Swiftly marching toward westward expansion, the United States in the 1800s brought with it a tidal wave of displacement and cultural suppression for Native Americans. A century of broken treaties already had spawned distrust of the federal government, and widespread forced assimilation was accelerating. With shifting cultural and social circumstances […]
2 months ago
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a press statement on arrival for a meeti...

Pentagon chief urges Europe to take the lead as he pushes a ‘NATO 3.0’ reboot

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that America’s allies in Europe must take the lead on the defense of their own continent and help turn NATO into “a read hard-line military alliance.” At a meeting of NATO defense ministers, Hegseth called for a reboot of the 32-nation organization to turn it […]
2 months ago
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., left, Ken Miceli, second from left, Scott Neely and Rep. David Schweikert...

GOP candidates pitch themselves as the person to beat Arizona’s Democratic governor

PHOENIX (AP) — The two Republican congressmen running for Arizona governor pitched themselves at a debate Wednesday as the only candidate with broad enough voter appeal to unseat Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs amid the state’s affordability struggles. U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, who is the GOP primary’s front-runner and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, […]
2 months ago
FILE - The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jo...

Families of kids with disabilities warn Education Department changes could break a flawed system

For months, and sometimes longer, parents of kids with disabilities say they have waited for the Education Department to make progress on their complaints of bullying or other discrimination. Now that the department is offloading civil rights enforcement and special education, some parents and advocates warn a process that has largely been stalled since President […]
2 months ago
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives to take part in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, Su...

Mamdani tests his political clout in New York’s primary as he looks to reshape the Democratic Party

NEW YORK (AP) — Not long ago, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was demonized by leaders of both political parties. Today, just six months after taking office, the 34-year-old democratic socialist’s political strength is surging. Always a darling of the far left, he has earned praise from both President Donald Trump and former Democratic […]
2 months ago
Former President Barack Obama stands on stage with former first lady Michelle Obama at a stakeholde...

Springsteen, Bono and Stevie Wonder will help the Obamas open their presidential museum

Former President Barack Obama is getting a little help from his friends in celebrating the opening of his presidential museum in Chicago. The guestlist for Thursday’s dedication ceremony includes Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Bono, along with former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are […]
2 months ago
Vice President JD Vance speaks in Bethpage, N.Y., Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)C...

Vance, skeptical of foreign wars, becomes the face of Trump’s tentative deal to end war with Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — JD Vance was supposed to be spending the week promoting his new book, the kind of event a potential presidential candidate like the vice president typically uses to speak to a wide audience about his life and values ahead of a campaign. Instead, the rollout of Vance’s second book, “Communion: Finding My […]
2 months ago
Taiwan's top diplomat in Washington, Alexander Yui Tah-ray speaks during an interview, Wednesday, J...

Taiwan needs US weapons for self-defense as threat from China grows, diplomat tells AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taiwan needs to purchase American weapons to ensure its self-defense in the face of a growing threat from Beijing, the island’s top diplomat in the U.S. said, adding that he has seen no change in Washington’s policy toward the self-governing island that China claims as its own. A $14 billion arms sale […]
2 months ago
FILE - Pastor Jackson Lahmeyer's appears at the announcement of his run for the United States Senat...

Jackson Lahmeyer withdraws from Oklahoma GOP House runoff after reports of inappropriate texts

Jackson Lahmeyer, an Oklahoma megachurch minister who founded Pastors for Trump, has withdrawn from a runoff for a U.S. House seat from Oklahoma, following reports that he had sent romantic text messages to a woman who is not his wife. A day after advancing to the August runoff, Lahmeyer issued a statement on Wednesday saying […]
2 months ago

US in talks with Jamaica to send third-country migrants as rift widens in Caribbean

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Jamaica is in discussions with the United States to accept third-country deportees, a move that would add the island nation to a growing number of Caribbean countries working with the Trump administration on its immigration agenda. Jamaica’s National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang confirmed Tuesday that the country has signed a […]
2 months ago
U.S. President Donald Trumptalkas to the media after disembarking Air Force One at Paris Orly Airpo...

Takeaways from the G7: Trump’s new attitude toward allies buoyed by their praise for Iran deal

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — President Donald Trump is not known to be a fan of international gatherings of world leaders, but he changed his tune at this year’s G7 summit at a French Alpine resort, where he was buoyed by support from his counterparts for his tentative agreement with Iran to end the war. It […]
2 months ago
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, center, gestures as he speaks with Germany's Chancell...

Brazil’s Lula warns Trump not to meddle in Brazil’s elections

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday not to meddle in Brazil’s October presidential election after Trump made his latest criticism of Brazil over judicial moves against Lula’s political rivals. The remarks show the escalating tensions between Brazil and the U.S. after the […]
2 months ago
FILE - Trucks come and go from the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida...

All detainees from immigration facility ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ have been transferred, DHS says

MIAMI (AP) — All detainees at an immigration detention center in an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” have been transferred to other facilities, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said, citing concerns related to the hurricane season. Conditions at the South Florida Detention Center have been praised by President Donald […]
2 months ago
FILE - The official seal of the Federal Trade Commission is seen on an office building in Washingto...

Federal Trade Commission sues leading transgender health group

The Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Wednesday, in the latest push by President Donald Trump’s administration and others to limit gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPATH, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members […]
2 months ago
FILE - Points of Light president and CEO Jennifer Sirangelo speaks at the 2025 Points of Light Conf...

Points of Light to unveil new strategy that it hopes will ignite a volunteerism boom

Americans overwhelmingly want to volunteer. Nonprofits desperately need them. The problem, according to the nonprofit Points of Light, is connecting the two. The organization, founded by former President George H.W. Bush to encourage service, is set to unveil plans to improve that connection at its annual conference in Washington on June 22. Jennifer Sirangelo, president […]
2 months ago
FILE - Gen. Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish armed forces chief of staff, right, and Deputy Defense Minis...

US is interested in a Polish offer for a permanent US military base, Polish official says

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A senior Polish defense official said Wednesday that the United States has expressed interest in potentially establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland. Cezary Tomczyk, Poland’s deputy defense minister, spoke to The Associated Press a day after the Polish government approved steps to allow such a U.S. permanent base in […]
2 months ago

Read the transcript of the US draft of the memorandum of understanding over Iran war

Senior U.S. officials on Wednesday read the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy over what is in the document. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of a formal signing ceremony set for Friday. Here is what is in the […]
2 months ago
FILE - Keith Sonderling, President Donald Trump's nominee to be Deputy Secretary of Labor, appears ...

US tells states to deal with unemployment fraud — or face penalties

The U.S. Department of Labor told states Wednesday to take immediate action to combat fraud, waste and abuse in their unemployment insurance programs — and that they could have administrative funds withheld if they don’t comply. The letters, which went to the governors of every state, are the latest in a series of actions from […]
2 months ago
FILE - People fill water containers at a free distribution point amid water outages in Khartoum, Su...

UN food agencies warn acute hunger will worsen in 13 hot spots as famine risks rise

ROME (AP) — The United Nations’ food agencies warned Wednesday that acute hunger is set to worsen across 13 global hot spots in the coming months, with conflict, funding shortages and climate shocks pushing millions closer to famine. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Program (WFP) said in a new joint […]
2 months ago
FILE - Turbines are visible at Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm that is under construction off the c...

Trump administration to buy back another energy company’s offshore wind leases for 4 more projects

The Trump administration said Wednesday it’s buying back another energy company’s U.S. offshore wind leases for four more wind projects, bringing the total amount spent on these agreements to nearly $2.6 billion. Chicago-based Invenergy has agreed to end its four offshore wind leases that were very early in development in exchange for reimbursements of lease […]
2 months ago
FILE - Raul Castro, right, watches the May Day parade accompanied by Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-C...

Cuba’s Communist Party convenes extraordinary session to debate new economic measures

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s powerful Communist Party, or PCC, called an extraordinary plenary session Wednesday, days after President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s announced an economic reform package aimed at opening up the struggling island’s economy. Also Wednesday, in a surprise move, the National Assembly was also convened for Thursday to follow up on the party meeting. Both […]
2 months ago

China Shock 2.0: Surging Chinese exports threaten Europe’s economy, raising concern at G7 summit

WASHINGTON (AP) — For eight years, the United States has waged economic war on China, slapping big taxes on Chinese products before they enter America. But the campaign hasn’t dented China’s industrial prowess. The world’s second biggest economy is exporting more products than ever. It’s just redirecting them away from the U.S. tariff wall and […]
2 months ago
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during a pre-ministerial media conference at NATO headquar...

NATO chief downplays US military cutbacks as top commander makes backup plans

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down on Wednesday the impact of the Trump administration’s decision to cut back the number of troops and military equipment it would provide its allies should they come under attack. NATO’s supreme allied commander, an American, is working on backup plans to defend Europe after the U.S. […]
2 months ago