Presidential battle could play role in control of Pennsylvania capitol, other swing states
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two swing districts in a swing county may very well decide which party controls the House in the swing state of Pennsylvania, one of several where pivotal legislative battles are playing out in the shadow of the presidential campaign. Democrat Brian Munroe and Republican Joe Hogan were...
Las Vegas eyes record of 5th consecutive day over 115 degrees as heat wave continues to scorch U.S.
LAS VEGAS — Used to shrugging off the heat, Las Vegas residents are now eyeing the thermometer as the desert city is on track Wednesday to set a record for the most consecutive days over 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46.1 Celsius) amid a lingering hot spell that will continue scorching much...
Milk, eggs and now bullets for sale in handful of U.S. grocery stores with ammo vending machines
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A company has installed computerized vending machines to sell ammunition in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas, allowing patrons to pick up bullets along with a gallon of milk. American Rounds said their machines use an identification scanner and facial recognition software to verify the purchaser’s...
President Joe Biden saw neurologist at White House for Jan. 17 exam, press secretary says
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden saw a neurologist at the White House on Jan. 17 for a neurological exam, the results of which were later reported as part of his annual physical more than a month later, the White House said on Tuesday. The confirmation came after the White House...
Democrats on Capitol Hill express concerns about Biden in private but stay quiet in public
WASHINGTON — After meeting for around two hours Tuesday to discuss whether President Joe Biden should remain at the top of their presidential ticket, Senate Democrats seemed to agree on one thing — it’s best not to talk about it publicly. Behind closed doors, several Democrats expressed deep concerns about...
Chaos swirling since Biden’s debate flub is causing cracks in a White House known for discipline
WASHINGTON — Internal drama. Leaks. Second-guessing. The pressure and chaos swirling since Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance is causing cracks in a White House that until now had been marked by discipline and loyalty. For three-plus years, the Biden administration has been mostly a restrained and staid operation, defined more...
Biden will meet Wednesday with top union leaders as he seeks to reassure worried Democrats
WASHINGTON — Facing pressure from within his own party to abandon his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden is relying on labor unions to help make the case that his record in office matters more than his age. The 81-year-old Democrat is set to meet Wednesday with the executive council of...
Trump revels in Democratic turmoil as he returns to campaign trail and teases VP pick
MIAMI — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday reveled in the mounting turmoil surrounding President Joe Biden ‘s campaign in the wake of their debate and teased the expected announcement of his Republican running mate with one of the top contenders, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, in attendance. After days spent...
Nevada county votes against certifying recount results, a move that raises longer-term questions
RENO, Nev. — Commissioners in Nevada’s second most populous county on Tuesday refused to certify the results of two local recounts from last month’s primary, a rare move that has potential implications for the presidential race in one of the nation’s most important swing states. The three Republican members on...
New Mexico village ravaged by wildfire gets another pounding by floodwatersVideo
RUIDOSO, N.M. — Roads throughout a mountain village in southern New Mexico that was recently ravaged by wildfire were closed Tuesday as authorities tried to keep vehicles out of the path of rushing water. Officials in Ruidoso reported that several bridge crossings were closed as mud and debris-laden water could...
Navy sailor disciplined for trying to access Biden’s health records early this year
WASHINGTON — A Navy sailor tried to access President Joe Biden’s medical records early this year, but the Pentagon said no information was compromised. According to the Navy, a sailor assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command searched for the name “Joseph Biden” in the military’s health care system,...
Justice Sotomayor’s security detail shoots man during attempted carjacking, authorities say
WASHINGTON — A member of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s security detail shot an armed man during an attempted carjacking in the early morning hours, according to court documents. It happened as two deputy U.S. marshals were on duty in a government car in Washington, D.C., about 1 a.m. July...
Vatican will prepare a document on the role of women in leadership in the Catholic Church
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican said Tuesday that its doctrine office will prepare a document on women in leadership roles in the Catholic Church, a new initiative to respond to longstanding demands by women to have a greater say in the church’s life. The document will be written by the...
Biden’s support on Capitol Hill grimly uncertain. A seventh Democrat says he should drop out
WASHINGTON — The mood on Capitol Hill turned grimly uncertain Tuesday as Democrats wrestled over President Joe Biden’s reelection and the extraordinary question before them — whether to stand behind his candidacy or push the president to bow out amid concerns over his ability to lead them to victory. House...
US disrupts Russian government-backed disinformation campaign that relied on AI technology
WASHINGTON — A Russian propaganda campaign backed by the Kremlin that spread online disinformation in the United States and was boosted by artificial intelligence has been disrupted, the Justice Department said Tuesday. U.S. officials described the internet operation as part of an ongoing effort to sow discord in the U.S....
Key senators reach agreement on spending levels for next year, setting up clash with House
WASHINGTON — The Senate will pursue a spending increase next year of about 3.4% for defense and 2.7% increase for non-defense programs under an agreement reached by top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee, setting up a certain clash with the House, which is pursuing less spending...
Rescuers search for dozens buried by an Indonesian landslide that killed at least 23 people
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Rescue workers dug through tons of mud and rubble on Tuesday as they searched for dozens of missing people after a landslide hit an unauthorized gold mining area on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 23 people. More than 100 villagers were digging for grains of gold...
Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON — A solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban as a rising number support access to abortions for any reason, a new poll finds, highlighting a politically perilous situation for candidates who oppose abortion rights as the November election draws closer. Around 6 in 10 Americans think...
Biden’s low-profile doctor has been thrust into the spotlight after the president’s debate disaster
WASHINGTON — As the physician to President Joe Biden, Dr. Kevin O’Connor is well-known around the White House. The stocky former Army surgeon is always close by his number one patient, ready to provide care or a consult as needed though few outside the building would know who he is....
Blamed for Chesapeake Bay pollution, Pennsylvania took steps to clean up. Here’s how it’s going
Pennsylvania has drawn ire from environmental groups, lobbyists and even a lawsuit from Maryland because of its slow pace to reduce pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. In a state where many residents are not connected to the bay and unaware of the upstream impact on the nation’s largest estuary,...
U.S.-built pier will be put back in Gaza for several days to move aid, then permanently removed
WASHINGTON — The pier built by the U.S. military to take humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reinstalled Wednesday to be used for several days, but then the plan is to pull it out permanently, several U.S. officials said. It would deal the final blow to a project long plagued...
Delta and an airline that doesn’t fly yet say they’ll run flights between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia
Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it has entered into a partnership with startup Riyadh Air with the goal of operating flights between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Riyadh Air, which plans to begin passenger flights next summer, is backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign-wealth fund and is part of the...
Former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, defense hawk who called human-caused climate change a ‘hoax,’ dies at 89
OKLAHOMA CITY — Former Sen. Jim Inhofe, a conservative firebrand known for his strong support of defense spending and his denial that human activity is responsible for the bulk of climate change, has died. He was 89. Inhofe, a powerful fixture in Oklahoma politics for over six decades, died Tuesday...
Ukrainian boxer sacrifices Olympic dreams and life to fight against Russia’s invasion
ROMNY, Ukraine — Maksym Halinichev won silver at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires in a match described at the time as “two of the best young fighters going for glory.” He considered the bout a loss — it wasn’t gold, after all — but it gave him a map...
Beryl leaves hot misery in its wake as the still-dangerous storm churns over the U.S. interior
HOUSTON — Many of the millions left without power when Hurricane Beryl crashed into Texas, killing several people and unleashing flooding, now face days without air conditioning as dangerous heat threatens the region Tuesday. A heat advisory was in effect through Wednesday in the Houston area and beyond, with temperatures...
