How a weaker dollar is quietly making life more expensive
NEW YORK — A hidden force is quietly pushing up costs for everything from your summer vacation to your weekly grocery bills: a weaker U.S. dollar. The dollar has fallen about 10% against other major currencies since President Donald Trump returned to the White House, a pullback potentially playing a...
OPEC+ countries agree to modest rise in production as Iran retains chokehold on key Strait of Hormuz
VIENNA — Seven countries in the OPEC+ grouping of oil-producing countries — including Saudi Arabia and Russia — say they’ve decided to a modest increase in production starting in June as part of a commitment to “market stability.” The commitment from the seven countries, also including Algeria, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kuwait...
Trump keeps us up in the air with his hints of what’s coming in a new batch of UFO files
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says the Pentagon is preparing to release some “very interesting” UFO files uncovered by his administration, generating a mix of buzz and skepticism as he hints at new revelations around questions of alien life. Trump started stoking interest in the extraterrestrial in February, directing federal...
2 U.S. service members missing after military exercises in Morocco
CASABLANCA, Morocco — Two U.S. service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Sunday. The service members are U.S. Army soldiers who went missing while on a hike, a U.S. defense...
Trump says the U.S. will ‘guide’ stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz, starting on Monday
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States will launch an effort on Monday to “guide” stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, giving few details about what could be a sweeping effort to help hundreds of vessels and some 20,000 seafarers. Trump said in...
President Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump said Saturday he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war. “I’ll let you know about it later,” he said before boarding Air Force One, adding that “they’re going to give me the exact wording now.” Two semiofficial Iranian outlets,...
Troop withdrawal announcement adds to friction between Europe and Trump
BERLIN — Germany’s defense minister on Saturday appeared to take in stride a Pentagon announcement that the United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of the country, President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to reduce America’s commitment to European security. Boris Pistorius said the drawdown, which Trump has threatened...
U.S. warns shipping firms over paying Iran to transit the Strait of Hormuz
BEIRUT — The United States is warning shipping companies they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control alert posted Friday adds pressure in the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over control of the...
Drone kills 2 in Kherson minibus strike, as Russia claims front-line progress
KYIV, Ukraine — Two people were killed after a Russian drone attacked a minibus in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, local officials said Saturday, in the latest barrage of civilian areas, a hallmark of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor. Seven people were also wounded in the attack, regional...
Mexican governor and mayor indicted by U.S. for drug trafficking step down
MEXICO CITY — Two members of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party in northwestern Sinaloa state said they would temporarily step down from their posts after the United States charged them and eight other officials with drug trafficking in bombshell indictment that has shaken the political establishment. In a short video...
Humpback whale ‘Timmy’ released in the North Sea after weeks stranded off Germany
BERLIN — A rescue team on Saturday released from a barge in the North Sea a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said. Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far...
Political handicappers give Western Pa. incumbents the upper hand in midterms
Only one congressional incumbent from Southwestern Pennsylvania is considered vulnerable in this year’s pivotal midterm elections, and that congressman, U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, faces a minimal threat, a new analysis shows. Deluzio is unopposed in the May 19 primary but will face a Republican challenger in November. Beaver...
Court restricts abortion access across the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone
A federal appeals court has restricted access to one of the most common means of abortion in the U.S. by blocking the mailing of mifepristone prescriptions. Friday’s unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is requiring that the abortion pill be...
Air Force says former Qatari 747 will be ready to fly Trump as Air Force One this summer
The U.S. Air Force has finished modifying and testing a Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar for temporary use as Air Force One and expects to have it ready for President Donald Trump to use this summer, the service announced late Friday. The jet is currently being painted red, white...
U.S. to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany in next 6-12 months, fulfilling Trump’s threat
WASHINGTON — The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months, the Pentagon said Friday, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s threat as he clashes with the German leader over the U.S. war with Iran. Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from the...
Judge protects Yemeni refugees, slams Trump administration’s push to end special status
NEW YORK — A federal judge on Friday blocked the Trump administration from forcing about 3,000 Yemeni refugees to leave the U.S., ruling that Temporary Protected Status repeatedly granted to them and due to expire Monday should be extended again. Judge Dale E. Ho in Manhattan extended the status temporarily...
What to know about May Day demonstrations as workers face rising energy costs due to Iran war
PARIS — Activists worldwide held May Day rallies and street protests Friday, calling for peace, higher wages and better working conditions as many workers grapple with rising energy costs and shrinking purchasing power tied to the Iran war. May 1 is a public holiday in many countries to mark International...
Trump says a ‘final proposal’ to rescue Spirit Airlines is under consideration
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration was still weighing a taxpayer-funded takeover of Spirit Airlines, with talks ongoing and no final decision yet on whether to move forward with a potential bailout for a carrier mired in bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in less than...
Trump says he’ll place 25% tariff on autos from EU, accusing bloc of not complying with trade deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he will increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25%, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. Trump said in the post that the EU “is not complying with...
Ukraine says a strike hit Tuapse oil terminal, the 4th attack on the region in 2 weeks
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces struck an oil terminal in the Russian Black Sea city of Tuapse, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Friday, marking the fourth attack targeting the region’s oil infrastructure in just over two weeks. Explosions and a fire were recorded on the premises of local oil infrastructure,...
Israeli authorities taking 2 activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla to Israel for questioning
BARCELONA, Spain — Israeli authorities said they were taking two activists who led an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, and who were captured by Israel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, to Israel for questioning. The activists, Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin Saif Abukeshek and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila,...
Mammography Month shines light on misunderstood life-saving test in Pa.Video
While the U.S. breast cancer death rate declined by 43% between 1990 and 2025 following the proliferation of mammograms, per the American College of Radiology, that welcome prolonged decline has leveled off among women ages 40-74 in recent years. What’s more, ACR officials indicate the national rate of breast cancers...
A person of interest is in custody after 2 U.S. Bank employees were killed in a Kentucky robbery
BEREA, Ky. — A person of interest has been taken into custody in connection with the fatal shootings of two bank employees during a robbery, a Kentucky state trooper said Friday. The person is “believed to be involved” in the bank robbery in Berea on Thursday, Trooper Justin Kearney posted...
Amtrak may make it easier to bring guns on its trains despite the alleged attempt on Trump’s life
Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. The company has been considering the policy change since at...
After major enforcement operations, the Trump administration recalibrates its immigration crackdown
WASHINGTON — When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was questioned by senators during his confirmation hearing about his vision for implementing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, he said his goal was to keep his department off the front pages of the news. To some degree, he has. Gone are...
