U.S./World category, Page 44
Report: White House stashes Venezuela oil cash at banks in Qatar
The White House has reportedly stashed millions of dollars from sales of Venezuelan oil in Qatari banks since the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro, raising huge questions about how the money will be allocated and if Congress and the American public will have a say. An estimated $500 million from...
Judge hands offshore wind industry another victory against Trump in clearing way for New York project
WASHINGTON — A federal judge Thursday cleared the way for a New York offshore wind project to resume construction, a victory for the developer who said a Trump administration order to pause it would likely kill the project in a matter of days. District Judge Carl J. Nichols, an appointee...
Defense Department says military newspaper Stars and Stripes must eliminate ‘woke distractions’
The Pentagon said Thursday that it is changing the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes so it concentrates on “reporting for our warfighters” and no longer includes “woke distractions.” That message, in a social media post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s spokesman, is short on specifics and does not mention...
Renaming the Department of Defense the ‘Department of War’ could cost up to $125 million
WASHINGTON — Renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War could cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $125 million depending on how broadly and quickly the change is made, according to an analysis released Wednesday from the Congressional Budget Office. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in September...
Press freedom advocates worry that raid on Washington Post journalist’s home will chill reporting
If the byproduct of a raid on a Washington Post journalist’s home is to deter probing reporting of government action, the Trump administration could hardly have chosen a more compelling target. Hannah Natanson, nicknamed the “federal government whisperer” at the Post for her reporting on President Donald Trump’s changes to...
Trump announces outlines of health care plan he wants Congress to consider
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the outlines of a health care plan he wants Congress to take up as Republicans have faced increasing pressure to address rising health costs and a jump in insurance premiums after lawmakers let subsidies expire. The cornerstone is his proposal to send...
U.S. seizes sixth sanctioned tanker it says has ties to Venezuela in Trump’s effort to control its oil
WASHINGTON — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil. The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland...
U.S. sanctions Iranian officials accused of repressing protests against the government
WASHINGTON — The U.S. is imposing a new round of sanctions against Iranian officials accused of repressing nationwide protests that challenge Iran’s theocratic government. Included in Thursday’s sanctions is the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security, whom the Treasury Department accuses of being one of the first officials...
Trump threatens to use the Insurrection Act to end protests in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke an 1807 law and deploy troops to quell persistent protests against the federal officers sent to Minneapolis to enforce his administration’s massive immigration crackdown. The threat comes a day after a man was shot and wounded by an immigration officer...
Bodies of 32 Cuban officers killed during U.S. strike on Venezuela repatriated as U.S. threat lingers
HAVANA — Cuban soldiers wearing white gloves marched out of a plane on Thursday carrying boxes with the remains of the 32 Cuban officers killed during a stunning U.S. attack on Venezuela as trumpets and drums played solemnly at Havana’s airport. Nearby, thousands of Cubans lined one of the Havana’s...
Venezuela’s Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during their meetingVideo
WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a meeting with him at the White House on Thursday, “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.” Machado did not provide further details, however, and the...
European troops arrive in Greenland as talks with U.S. highlight ‘disagreement’ over island’s future
NUUK, Greenland — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island. Denmark announced it would increase its military presence...
Netanyahu says announced start of Gaza ceasefire’s next phase is a ‘declarative move’
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cast the U.S. announcement that the fragile ceasefire in Gaza would advance to its second phase as largely symbolic, raising questions about how its more challenging elements will be carried out. Speaking late Wednesday with the parents of the...
The debate that never ends: Washington’s constant health care fight
WASHINGTON — The president was barely a year into his administration when a health care debate began to consume Washington. On Capitol Hill, partisan divides formed as many Democrats pressed for guaranteed insurance coverage for a broader swath of Americans while Republicans, buttressed by medical industry lobbying, warned about cost...
Ailing astronaut returns to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An ailing astronaut returned to Earth with three others on Thursday, ending their space station mission more than a month early in NASA’s first medical evacuation. SpaceX guided the capsule to a middle-of-the-night splashdown in the Pacific near San Diego, less than 11 hours after the...
Federal officer shoots person in leg after being attacked during Minneapolis arrest
MINNEAPOLIS — A federal officer shot a person in the leg Wednesday in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel during an arrest, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person cautioned the information was still preliminary, and the investigation was in its early stages. The...
Demonstrator injured after federal agent fired projectile from close range during California protest
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A demonstrator was hit in the face with a projectile fired by a federal officer at close range during a Southern California protest, leaving him bloodied and with serious injuries, according to video and accounts from fellow protesters and family on Tuesday. The gathering on Friday...
War powers resolution fails in Senate as 2 Republicans bow to Trump pressure
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted to dismiss a war powers resolution Wednesday that would have limited President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks on Venezuela after two GOP senators reversed course on supporting the legislation. Trump put intense pressure on five Republican senators who joined with Democrats to advance...
Ohio authorities say Michael McKee, the ex-husband of Monique Tepe, is responsible for killings
COLUMBUS — Police in Ohio’s capital city said Wednesday that they have gathered enough evidence to link a man charged in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus home last month to the killings. Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said in an Associated Press interview...
Trump administration slashes funding for substance abuse and mental health programs nationwide
NEW YORK — The Trump administration has made abrupt and sweeping cuts to substance abuse and mental health programs across the country in a move that advocates said will jeopardize the lives of some of the country’s most vulnerable. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on Tuesday night...
Democrats push to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee has joined a longshot effort by a group of Democrats in the House to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “Right now, the Trump administration is commissioning the endangerment of the American public — (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is hunting human beings down, tearing families apart...
Trump signs law returning whole milk to school lunches
Whole milk is heading back to school cafeterias across the country after President Donald Trump signed a bill Wednesday overturning Obama-era limits on higher-fat milk options. Nondairy drinks such as fortified soy milk may also be on the menu in the coming months following adoption of the Whole Milk for...
Renee Good’s family hires George Floyd law firm to investigate Minneapolis ICE shooting
Renee Good ‘s family is accusing federal immigration officers of killing the Minneapolis mother as she attempted to follow agents’ instructions, and said Wednesday they have hired the same law firm that represented George Floyd ‘s family to press for answers and accountability. Her loved ones said in a statement...
Verizon outage disrupts calling and data services for phone customers across the country
NEW YORK — Many Verizon customers encountered a widespread outage on Wednesday, disrupting calling and other cellular services across the U.S. The New York-based carrier acknowledged that there was an “issue impacting wireless voice and data services.” Verizon didn’t specify what was causing the disruptions, but said in an update...
U.S. to suspend immigrant visa processing from 75 countries over public assistance concerns
WASHINGTON — The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The State Department, led by Secretary...
