Census Bureau sees an older, more diverse America in 2100 in 3 immigration scenarios
By the end of the century, the U.S. population will be declining without substantial immigration, older adults will outnumber children and white, non- Hispanic, residents will account for less than 50% of the population, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The population projections offer a glimpse...
Man receives the first eye transplant plus a new face
NEW YORK — Surgeons have performed the world’s first transplant of an entire human eye, an extraordinary addition to a face transplant — although it’s far too soon to know if the man will ever see through his new left eye. An accident with high-voltage power lines had destroyed most...
National Zoo’s giant pandas fly home amid uncertainty about future panda exchanges
WASHINGTON — The day that panda lovers have been dreading has finally come. The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji. on Wednesday began their long trip to China, leaving behind an empty panda exhibit with no certainty that pandas ever would...
Minnesota Supreme Court dismisses ‘insurrection clause’ challenge and allows Trump on primary ballot
MINNEAPOLIS — Former President Donald Trump will stay on the Minnesota primary ballot after the state supreme court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit seeking end his candidacy under a rarely-used constitutional provision that forbids those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. The Minnesota Supreme Court declined to become the...
Israeli strikes pound Gaza City, which tens of thousands have fled in recent days
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes pounded Gaza City overnight into Thursday as ground forces battled Hamas militants in dense urban neighborhoods from which tens of thousands have fled in recent days. Israeli troops were around 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Shifa Hospital in the heart of downtown, the...
8 dead in crash after police chased a suspected human smuggler, Texas officials say
AUSTIN, Texas — Eight people died Wednesday when the driver of a car suspected of carrying smuggled migrants fled police and smashed into an oncoming vehicle on a South Texas highway. The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. when the driver of a 2009 Honda Civic tried to outrun deputies from...
GOP presidential candidates unified on Israel but divided on China as they debate without TrumpVideo
MIAMI — In their first debate since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Republican presidential candidates all declared hawkish support for Israel but squabbled over China and Ukraine as they faced growing pressure to try to catch Donald Trump — who was again absent. At center stage were Ron...
U.S. launches airstrike on Syrian site in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militias
WASHINGTON — The U.S. launched an airstrike on a facility in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias, in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in the region for the past several weeks, the Pentagon said. Wednesday’s strike by two U.S. F-15...
Timika Lane wins court seat, as Pennsylvania Democrats sweep 4 statewide judicial races
HARRISBURG — Democrat Timika Lane won a seat on a statewide appellate court in Pennsylvania, giving Democrats a sweep of four statewide judicial races in Tuesday’s election, including an open seat on the state’s highest court. Vote-counting continued into Wednesday and put Lane, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge, over...
Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves wins 2nd term, defeating Democrat Brandon Presley
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves won a second term Tuesday in the conservative state where his party dominates. Reeves defeated challenger Brandon Presley, who raised more money and made an aggressive push to give Democrats a rare statewide victory in the Deep South. “Mississippi has momentum, and...
Suspect in custody in recent fatal stabbing of Detroit synagogue leader
DETROIT — Police said a suspect was in custody Wednesday in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue leader whose recent death had raised questions about whether it was motivated by antisemitism. “It does not represent the conclusion of our work in this case,” police Chief James White said. “The...
To help 2024 voters, Meta says it will begin labeling political ads that use AI-generated imagery
WASHINGTON — Facebook and Instagram will require political ads running on their platforms to disclose if they were created using artificial intelligence, their parent company announced on Wednesday. Under the new policy by Meta, labels acknowledging the use of AI will appear on users’ screens when they click on ads....
House Republicans subpoena Hunter and James Biden as their impeachment inquiry ramps back up
WASHINGTON — House Republicans issued subpoenas Wednesday to members of President Joe Biden’s family, taking their most aggressive step yet in an impeachment inquiry bitterly opposed by Democrats that is testing the reach of congressional oversight powers. The long-awaited move by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight...
FDA approves new version of diabetes drug Mounjaro for weight loss
A new version of the popular diabetes treatment Mounjaro can be sold as a weight-loss drug, U.S. regulators announced Wednesday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s drug, named Zepbound. The drug, also known as tirzepatide, helped dieters lose as much as 40 to 60 pounds in testing....
Residents sheltered in place for hours after chemical plant explosion in rural Texas injured workerVideo
HOUSTON — A massive fire at a chemical plant in rural Texas on Wednesday sent a plume of black smoke into the sky as officials closed down a local highway and ordered residents to take shelter for several hours. Authorities had asked residents within a one-mile radius of a chemical...
Colorado funeral home owner, wife arrested on charges linked to the handling of at least 189 bodies
DENVER — The owner of a Colorado funeral home and his wife were arrested Wednesday after the decaying remains of at least 189 people were recently found at his facility. Jon and Carrie Hallford were arrested in Wagoner, Oklahoma, on suspicion of four felonies — abuse of a corpse, theft,...
Adidas says it may write off remaining unsold Yeezy shoes after breakup with Ye
FRANKFURT, Germany — Adidas said it might have to write off the remaining 300 million euros ($320 million) worth of Yeezy shoes left unsold after it cut ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The company will decide in the coming weeks whether or not to do a...
Red hot October almost guarantees 2023 will be the hottest year on record
This October was the hottest on record globally, 1.7 degrees Celsius (3.1 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the pre-industrial average for the month — and the fifth straight month with such a mark in what will now almost certainly be the warmest year ever recorded. October was a whopping 0.4 degrees...
Pakistan says nearly 25,000 Afghans waiting for visas to U.S. won’t be deported as part of clampdown
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister on Wednesday sought to reassure thousands of Afghans waiting in Pakistan for resettlement in the United States that they won’t be deported as part of his government’s widely criticized crackdown on undocumented migrants in the country. Islamabad has launched a crackdown on illegal migration, saying...
Russia seeks 8-year prison term for an artist and musician who protested the war in Ukraine
TALLINN, Estonia — Russian authorities on Wednesday demanded an eight-year prison term for an artist and musician who was jailed after speaking out against Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Sasha Skochilenko was arrested in her native St. Petersburg in April 2022, on charges of spreading false information about the military after...
Ivanka Trump’s testimony: She worked on dad’s deals, not financial documents key to civil fraud case
NEW YORK — Ivanka Trump didn’t want to testify. But on the the stand Wednesday in her father’s civil fraud trial, she took the opportunity to contend the family business has “overdelivered,” even as she kept her distance from financial documents that New York state says were fraudulent. Former President...
Putin calls for closer Russia-China cooperation on military satellites and prospective weapons
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Chinese military official Wednesday that Moscow and Beijing should expand their cooperation on military satellites and other prospective defense technologies— a statement that signaled increasingly close defense links between the allies. Putin spoke in televised remarks at the start of his...
Citigroup discriminated against Armenian Americans, federal regulator says; bank fined $25.9M
NEW YORK — Citigroup intentionally discriminated against Armenian Americans when they applied for credit cards, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday, as the bank argued internally that Armenians were more likely to commit fraud and referred to applicants as “bad guys” or affiliated with organized crime. The CFPB found...
Croatia withdraws some bottled drinks and urges people to drink tap water after several fall ill
ZAGREB, Croatia — Authorities in Croatia recommended Wednesday that people drink only tap water as they investigated reports of several people sickened or suffering throat injuries allegedly after consuming bottled beverages. Health authorities ordered the “suspected” products pulled from shops and restaurants, without specifying which products. However, photos on social...
It was a night of firsts amid local, national election results
History was made around the U.S. — and in Western Pennsylvania — on Tuesday as several newly elected candidates earned firsts for their respective offices. In Allegheny County, Democrat Sara Innamorato became the first woman to win the county executive seat after she defeated Republican Joe Rockey. On the other...