Associated Press stories, Page 31
What’s next now that Trump has signed bill releasing the Epstein files
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed a bill to compel the Justice Department to make public its case files on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a potentially far-reaching development in a yearslong push by survivors of Epstein’s abuse for a public reckoning. Both the House and Senate passed...
U.S. trade deficit drops 24% in August as Trump’s tariffs reduce imports
WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit fell by nearly 24% in August as President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs pushed imports lower. In a report delayed for more than seven weeks by the federal government shutdown, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the gap between what the United States buys...
Arrests now top 250 in immigration crackdown across North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal agents have now arrested more than 250 people during a North Carolina immigration crackdown centered around Charlotte, the state’s largest city, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday. The operation that began over the weekend is the latest phase of Republican President Donald Trump’saggressive mass...
New hurdle in Comey case as Trump’s Justice Department faces questions about the grand jury process
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey hit another hurdle Wednesday as the Justice Department acknowledged a possible lapse in how the case was presented to a federal grand jury for indictment. The concession risked further imperiling a politically charged prosecution already subject to multiple challenges...
Quarterly profit slide at Target hints at a challenging holiday season for the retailer
NEW YORK — Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. The company also announced that it’s planning to invest...
Fiber is something most people could use more of. But experts advise caution with ‘fibermaxxing’
U.S. consumers who have had their fill of finding protein added to everything from cereal to ice cream are about to meet the next big food fad: fiber. Americans have been boosting their protein intake for years; even Pop-Tarts and Starbucks are selling protein-enhanced products. But the number of new...
What to know about the impacts Medicaid cuts are having on rural health care
FRANCONIA, N.H. — The closing of a health center in rural New Hampshire has raised concerns that the projected cuts in Medicaid are already taking a toll. Last month, a site of the Ammonoosuc Community Health Services in Franconia, a town of around 1,000 people, closed for good. Ammonoosuc officials...
For people in this rural New Hampshire town, a health center’s closure leaves unanswered questions
FRANCONIA, N.H. — For more than two decades, Susan Bushby, a 70-year-old housekeeper from a rural ski town in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, took comfort in knowing she only had a short drive to reach the community health center. The lodgelike medical building, which sits on a hill overlooking town,...
For conservative media, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani quickly becomes attack target
New York City’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, hasn’t taken office yet. But he’s already the new avatar of evil for conservative media figures. He’s been called “downright sinister” and “incompatible with America.” His labels include commie, Marxist, jihadist sympathizer and “seething leftist.” Fox News’ Laura Ingraham warned her viewers not...
Trump’s congressional gerrymandering push is getting complicated for the GOP
As President Donald Trump laid it out to reporters this summer, the plan was simple. Republicans, the president said, were “entitled” to five more conservative-leaning U.S. House seats in Texas and additional ones in other red states. The president broke with more than a century of political tradition in directing...
What to know about expanded work requirements about to kick in for SNAP
After a disruptive U.S. government shutdown, federal SNAP food assistance is again flowing to low-income households. But in the months ahead, many participants will have to abide by new work requirements. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides monthly benefits — averaging around $190 per person — to about 42 million...
Georgia jumps to coveted No. 4 in CFP rankings; Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M stay 1-2-3
Georgia nabbed the fourth and final projected first-round bye in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, while undefeated Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M held onto the top three positions. The Bulldogs rose one spot thanks to Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma over the weekend — a result that dropped...
Flush with cash? Fully functional, solid gold toilet sells for $12.1M at auction
NEW YORK — A Gustav Klimt portrait painting sold Tuesday for $236 million, a record for a modern art piece, at an auction where a solid gold, fully functional toilet satirizing the ultrarich also fetched $12.1 million. The toilet, by Maurizio Cattelan — the provocative Italian artist known for taping...
Alex Freeman scores twice as U.S. routs Uruguay, heads into World Cup year with 5-game unbeaten streak
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Freeman scored twice and Sebastian Berhalter and Diego Luna had one goal each as the United States overwhelmed Uruguay with a four-goal first half in a 5-1 win on Tuesday night to head into a World Cup year with a five-game unbeaten streak. Tanner Tessmann added...
Bipartisan bill aims to pay air traffic controllers during future shutdowns
The flight disruptions during the record government shutdown that ended last week inspired a rare act of bipartisanship in Washington on Tuesday, when congressional representatives from both parties introduced legislation that would allow air traffic controllers to get paid during future shutdowns. The bill proposes funding salaries, operating expenses and...
Final resting place set for the historic SS United States to become an artificial reef off Florida
A historic ocean liner will become the world’s largest artificial reef after it’s sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast early next year. Okaloosa County officials announced Tuesday that they expect to sink the SS United States in early 2026 about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin and 32 nautical miles southeast...
Fear spreads as federal immigration crackdown in North Carolina expands to Raleigh
RALEIGH — Federal agents expanded their North Carolina immigration crackdown to the area around the state capital of Raleigh on Tuesday, with fear spreading in at least one immigrant-heavy suburb where restaurants closed and many people stayed home. The North Carolina operation began over the weekend in the state’s largest...
Energy Department loans $1B to help finance the restart of nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island
HARRISBURG — The U.S. Department of Energy said Tuesday that it will loan $1 billion to help finance the restart of the nuclear power plant on Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island that is under contract to supply power to data centers for tech giant Microsoft. The loan is in line with...
Trump attacks ABC News correspondent Mary Bruce in angry response to sharp questionsVideo
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump denounced ABC News’ Mary Bruce as a “terrible reporter” Tuesday and threatened the network’s license to broadcast after she asked him three sharp questions at the White House. The network’s chief White House correspondent was among reporters let into the Oval Office to question...
No. 11 BYU can take huge step toward Big 12 title game with Cincy win, or pave way for chaos in loss
BOULDER, Colo. — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham turns 66 on Friday and certainly wouldn’t mind a belated birthday present from Cincinnati. It would be a gift for several teams around the Big 12, actually. Because if the Bearcats knock off No. 11 BYU at home Saturday night, the door opens...
No. 15 Georgia Tech and Pitt to meet in prime-time game with College Football Playoff implications
ATLANTA — A shot at the College Football Playoff is on the line for No. 15 Georgia Tech and Pitt ahead of a prime-time matchup Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets (9-1, 6-1) will clinch a spot in the ACC title game on Dec. 6 if they beat Pitt (7-3, 5-1),...
Commissioner Jim Phillips says ACC freed to focus on future with legal fight resolved
CARY, N.C. — The ACC opened 2025 mired in a legal fight with two member schools while waiting on broadcast partner ESPN to extend a media deal with the league for the long term. Those issues long resolved, the league has been focused on the future, building its brand with...
DHS plans to deploy 250 border agents to Louisiana in major immigration sweep
NEW ORLEANS — Around 250 federal border agents are set to descend on New Orleans in the coming weeks for a two-month immigration crackdown dubbed “Swamp Sweep” that aims to arrest roughly 5,000 people across southeast Louisiana and into Mississippi, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press and three...
The Education Department is dismantling. Here’s what that means
WASHINGTON — The Education Department is breaking off several of its main offices and giving their responsibilities to other federal agencies, an early look at how President Donald Trump could fulfill his campaign pledge to close the department entirely. Offices that serve the nation’s schools and colleges would go to...
ACC freed to focus on future with legal fight resolved, Commissioner Jim Phillips says
CARY, N.C. — The Atlantic Coast Conference opened 2025 mired in a legal fight with two member schools while waiting on broadcast partner ESPN to extend a media deal with the league for the long term. Those issues long resolved, the league has been focused on the future, building its...
