U.S./World category, Page 173
Ukraine, Europe worry about being sidelined as Trump pushes direct talks with Russia on war’s endVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s approach to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine has left European allies and Ukrainian officials worried they are being largely sidelined by the new U.S. administration as Washington and Moscow plan direct negotiations. With the three-year war grinding on, Trump is sending Secretary of State Marco...
Fired nuclear bomb specialists recalled by Energy Department
WASHINGTON — The Energy Department is seeking to bring back nuclear energy specialists after abruptly telling hundreds of workers that their jobs were eliminated, according to two people familiar with the matter. The employees, responsible for designing and maintaining the nation’s cache of nuclear weapons at the National Nuclear Safety...
Trump administration cuts reach FDA employees in food safety, medical devices and tobacco products
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s effort to slash the size of the federal workforce reached the Food and Drug Administration this weekend, as recently hired employees who review the safety of food ingredients, medical devices and other products were fired. Probationary employees across the FDA received notices Saturday evening that...
At least 9 people are dead, including 8 in Kentucky, in latest blast of winter weatherVideo
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — At least nine people have died in the most recent round of harsh weather to pummel the U.S., including eight people in Kentucky who died as creeks swelled from heavy rain and water covered roads. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Sunday that hundreds of people stranded by...
Paul Whelan describes life after nearly six years in Russian captivity
Former Marine Paul Whelan said, even though he’s been back in the United States since August — after more than five years of Russian captivity — his reintegration into American society continues. “Everything’s familiar, but you still have to get used to it,” Whelan said in an interview with TribLive...
IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season
WASHINGTON — The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and cuts could happen as soon as next week. This comes as the Trump administration intensified sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the...
Defiant Canadians mark their flag’s anniversary as Trump hopes to make their country a state
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadians on Saturday marked the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of their flag with a defiant sense of patriotism that people said was prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and suggestions that the country become the 51st U.S. state. Deborah Weismiller said she...
23-year-old man stabbed 5 people in Austria, killing 1 in what police described as a random attack
VIENNA — A 23-year-old man stabbed five passersby in southern Austria on Saturday in what police said was a random attack that left a 14-year-old dead and four others injured. The suspect was detained in the city of Villach, where the attack took place, police said. He is a Syrian...
Hungary’s transformation into an ‘electoral autocracy’ has parallels to Trump’s second term
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hours before President Donald Trump was sworn in to begin his second term, promising a “golden age” for America, the leader of a Central European country was describing the years ahead in strikingly similar terms. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Trump’s return would usher in Hungary’s own...
Anger, chaos and confusion take hold as federal workers face mass layoffs
NEW YORK — Workers across the country responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration ‘s aggressive effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections. While much...
Vermont border agent’s death was the latest violence linked to the cultlike Zizian group
In the wooded outskirts of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a perplexed landlord noticed odd sights at two of his rental properties. Tenants wore long black coats and parked box trucks outside the duplexes. They ran an electrical cord from one box truck into one of the condos, and kept a...
Consumer watchdog agency called ‘vicious’ by Trump seen as a ‘hero’ to many it aided
NEW YORK — To President Donald Trump, it’s a hotbed of “waste, fraud and abuse” whose only purpose is to “destroy people” and whose staff amounts to a “vicious group.” To Jonathon Booth, it’s simply the agency that helped him get $17 back. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in...
Eastern U.S. braces for flooding while snow will hit Northeast, cold temperatures across Plains
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Much of the eastern U.S. braced for a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather on Saturday, while snowstorms were predicted in the Northeast and heavy winds brought the threat of tornadoes to the Mississippi Valley. Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Arkansas were under flood warnings, and residents...
Israel and Hamas complete their latest exchange as ceasefire’s first phase has just 2 weeks left
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israel and Hamas completed the sixth exchange of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday with just over two weeks remaining in the initial phase of their fragile Gaza ceasefire. Israelis expressed relief as the three hostages — Argentinian-Israeli Iair Horn, 46; American-Israeli Sagui...
‘We can’t carry anger.’ Parkland families let doves fly on 7th anniversary of shooting
MIAMI — About 200 people gathered in Coral Springs on Friday to remember the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting with the things they loved: art, sports, horses and music. The somber day marks seven years since a former student killed 14 students and three school...
U.S. deports immigrants to Venezuela after judge blocked transfer to Guantanamo Bay
EL PASO, Texas — Three immigrants who won a restraining order against the federal government to avoid transfer to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba were deported this week on direct flights to Venezuela, according to court documents published Friday. The three men were deported Monday, the day after...
Kindergarteners could learn gun safety in school under a bill gaining momentum in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah students in as early as kindergarten would be required to learn about firearm safety in the classroom under a bill that passed the state House with overwhelming support Friday. The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure in a 59-10 vote and sent it to the Senate,...
Top commander with U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon is injured by protesters
The outgoing deputy commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon was injured Friday when protesters attacked a convoy taking peacekeepers to the Beirut airport, the force known as UNIFIL said in a statement. “We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security...
Hamas names 3 more Israeli hostages set for release to uphold shaky Gaza ceasefire
JERUSALEM — Hamas named three Israeli hostages on Friday it will release in a weekend trade for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the latest sign that the shaky Gaza ceasefire deal appears to be holding in spite of a tense dispute that has threatened to renew fighting. The militant group and...
Very cold weather is coming. U.S. about to get 10th and chilliest polar vortex this winter
The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America’s winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists warn. And it will stay frozen there all next week. Different weather forces in the Arctic are combining to push the chilly air that usually...
Michigan judge sentences Walmart shoplifters to wash cars in the parking lot
A Michigan judge is putting sponges in the hands of shoplifters, ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot when spring arrives. Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service discourages people from stealing from Walmart and rewards shoppers who could see higher prices, or possibly...
DOGE gets mixed reviews from conservatives who have long wanted major budget cuts
DES MOINES, Iowa — Conservatives who have spent decades promoting deep cuts to government are giving mixed reviews to the Department of Government Efficiency, the Elon Musk-led project to slash the federal workforce and reduce or end disfavored programs. The Associated Press interviewed four veteran budget hawks, including some who...
Bakery owner in New England says he was offended over town’s decision against pastry painting
CONCORD, N.H. — A New Hampshire bakery owner testified Friday that his excitement about displaying a painting by high school students of giant pastries quickly turned to annoyance after a zoning code officer told him it was a sign and had to be changed or removed. Sean Young said the...
Pope Francis, suffering breathing issues, faces tests after being hospitalized to treat bronchitis
ROME — Pope Francis was hospitalized Friday to treat a weeklong bout of bronchitis and undergo diagnostic tests, the Vatican said, confirming the latest issues with the 88-year-old’s pontiff’s health that forced him to cancel his agenda through Monday at least. Francis has complained of breathing trouble and was diagnosed...
Federal funding freeze disrupts rural organizations supporting foster youth, job growth
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After surviving teen homelessness and domestic violence in West Virginia, 23-year-old Ireland Daugherty was finally feeling stable: She had her own apartment, a job and was studying for a four-year degree. Ashley Cain, 36, was celebrating four years of sobriety and working with a nonprofit that trains...
