Federal appeals court blocks remainder of Biden’s student debt relief plan
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court blocked the implementation of the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan, which would have lowered monthly payments for millions of borrowers. In a ruling Thursday, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion for an administrative stay filed by a group of Republican-led...
Biden has covid-19 and didn’t wear a mask, but CDC’s guidelines say he doesn’t have to
REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — President Joe Biden did not wear a face mask in public a couple of times after the White House announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. The White House said the Democratic incumbent was experiencing “mild” symptoms while the president’s physician said Biden would self-isolate “in...
Ear bandages become fashion trend for Trump supporters
Ear bandages are now in style for the Republican Party — following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during his campaign rally Saturday in Butler County. The shooting left Trump with a white square bandage on his right ear after he was treated at Butler Memorial Hospital, and...
After crash that killed 6 teens, NTSB chief says people underestimate marijuana’s impact on drivers
DETROIT — A horrific crash that killed six high school girls in Oklahoma two years ago has the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board urging parents to warn teenagers about the risk of driving after using marijuana. Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy made the appeal to parents Thursday as her...
Amazon says this year’s Prime Day was its biggest ever
NEW YORK — Amazon saw record sales for Prime Day this week as Prime members purchased more items than ever before, the company announced Thursday. The Seattle e-commerce giant, which does not disclose how much it earns during the popular discount event, also said “millions” of customers joined Prime in...
Officials say message posted on gaming platform prior to Trump rally was from fake account
The 20-year-old man authorities said opened fire at a political rally in Butler County had photos and searches of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on his cellphone, several news outlets reported Thursday citing unnamed sources. Sources told CNN that the gunman’s search history, dating back to...
Trump, in highly personal speech, will accept GOP nomination again days after assassination attempt
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump takes the stage Thursday at the Republican National Convention to accept his party’s nomination again and give his first speech since he was cut off mid-sentence by a flurry of gunfire in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Trump’s wife, Melania, is expected to...
Journalist Evan Gershkovich attends hearing in Russia in his trial on espionage charges that he and U.S. deny
YEKATERINBURG, Russia — Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich attended a hearing behind closed doors on Thursday in his trial in Russia on espionage charges that he, his employer and the U.S. government vehemently deny. Closing arguments are set for Friday. Authorities arrested the 32-year-old journalist on March 29, 2023,...
Paris police are sealing off the Seine River ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony
PARIS — A special kind of iron curtain came down across central Paris on Thursday, with the beginning of an Olympic anti-terrorism perimeter along the banks of the River Seine sealing off a kilometers-long (miles-long) area to Parisians and tourists who hadn’t applied in advance for a pass. The words...
‘1 screen, 2 movies’: Conflicting conspiracy theories emerge from Trump shooting
WASHINGTON — A former president is shot, the gunman quickly neutralized, and all of it is caught on camera. But for those who don’t believe their eyes, that’s just the start of the story. For some supporters of former President Donald Trump, the failure of the Secret Service to prevent...
Biden is isolated at home as Obama, Pelosi and other Democrats push for him to reconsider 2024 race
WASHINGTON — Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for President Joe Biden to rethink his election bid, with former President Barack Obama expressing concerns to allies and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi privately telling Biden the party could lose the ability to seize control of the House...
J.D. Vance introduces himself as Trump’s running mate and makes direct appeal to his native Rust Belt
MILWAUKEE — Introducing himself to the nation after being tapped as Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance used his Wednesday night address to the Republican National Convention to share the story of his hardscrabble upbringing and make the case that his party best understands the challenges facing struggling Americans. The...
Ukraine defense chief says his nation will find a way no matter who wins U.S. election
ASPEN, Colorado — Ukraine will find a way to deal with whatever comes if former President Donald Trump wins a second term, throwing into doubt vital U.S. support for its defense against Russia’s invading forces, Ukraine’s defense minister said Wednesday. In carefully framed comments to an audience of U.S. policymakers...
Multiple failures, multiple investigations: Unraveling the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
BUTLER — The young man was pacing around the edges of the Donald Trump campaign rally, shouldering a big backpack and peering into the lens of a rangefinder toward the rooftops behind the stage where the former president would stand within the hour. His behavior was so odd, so unlike...
California first state to get federal funds for hydrogen energy hub to help replace fossil fuels
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California will be the first state to receive federal funds under a program to create regional networks, or “hubs,” that produce hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing and generating electricity, officials announced Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Energy said the California Hydrogen Hub will receive...
Trump has given no official info about his medical care for days since assassination attempt
MILWAUKEE — Four days after a gunman’s attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, the public is still in the dark over the extent of his injuries, what treatment the Republican presidential nominee received in the hospital, and whether there may be any long-term effects on...
Relatives of those killed when MH17 was shot down mark 10 years since tragedy that claimed 298 lives
VIJFHUIZEN, Netherlands — Grieving families recited the names and ages Wednesday of all 298 passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine 10 years ago, as they marked the anniversary of the tragedy at a solemn ceremony near Amsterdam. The relatives, some weeping or...
Stegosaurus fossil fetches nearly $45M, setting record for dinosaur auctions
NEW YORK — The nearly complete fossilized remains of a stegosaurus fetched $44.6 million at auction Wednesday, Sotheby’s said. The buyer’s name was not disclosed. The fossil, dubbed “Apex,” is considered to be among the most complete ever found, according to the auction house. The price blew past a pre-sale...
Biden tests positive for covid-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19 while traveling Wednesday in Las Vegas and is experiencing “mild symptoms” including “general malaise” from the infection, the White House said. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will fly to his home in Delaware, where he will “self-isolate and will...
NASA says meteor fireball was responsible for boom heard over New York and New Jersey. So what exactly is that?
It wasn’t an earthquake this time. The sky isn’t falling either. Instead, it was a meteor that shares a name with the cinnamon whiskey fans shoot outside at Eagles tailgates. Residents in New Jersey and New York reported hearing a loud boom Tuesday morning, with some even saying that they...
EPA watchdog investigating delays in how agency used sensor plane after East Palestine derailment
The EPA’s Inspector General is investigating why the agency didn’t get its specialized plane loaded with advanced sensors into the air over East Palestine until four days after the disastrous Norfolk Southern derailment last year. The Associated Press reported on a whistleblower’s concerns this spring about the delays and discrepancies...
Blade collapse, N.Y. launch, N.J. research show uneven progress of offshore wind
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Three events Wednesday highlighted the uneven progress of the offshore wind industry in the Northeast, including the start of a major project in New York, research aimed at preventing environmental damage in New Jersey and a temporary shutdown of a wind farm in Massachusetts after a...
Prominent Democrat Schiff calls for Biden to withdraw: Democrats aim to nominate before convention
WASHINGTON — California Rep. Adam Schiff on Wednesday became the highest-profile Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid, as the party pushed ahead with plans to hold a virtual vote to formally make Biden its nominee in the first week of August before the party’s...
House Oversight panel subpoenas Secret Service director to testify on Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON — Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, has issued a subpoena to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, compelling her to appear before the committee on Monday for what is scheduled to be the first congressional hearing into the attempted assassination of former...
J.D. Vance’s 1st Republican convention will be his national introduction as Trump’s running mate
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump ‘s running mate J.D. Vance will introduce himself to a national audience Wednesday night as he addresses the Republican National Convention. The Ohio senator’s headlining address will be his first speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee. In fact, this year’s gathering also is the first RNC...
