U.S./World category, Page 46
Parents of girl missing from Camp Mystic flooding ‘devastated’ by reopening plan
The parents of a girl who was among the victims who perished in flooding waters at Texas’ Camp Mystic in July have condemned the camp’s plans to reopen while their daughter’s body remains missing. At least 27 campers and counselors from the all-girls summer camp were killed along the Guadalupe...
Suspect in Dallas shooting sought to ‘terrorize’ ICE agents, officials sayVideo
DALLAS — The sniper who opened fire on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas left behind notes saying he acted alone in an attack intended to kill and “terrorize” ICE agents, whose work he viewed as “human trafficking,” officials said on Thursday. Although one person held in...
Trump signs memorandum aimed at investigating liberal groups, says George Soros ‘likely’ target
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Thursday aimed at marshalling federal law enforcement to investigate liberal groups, citing concerns about domestic terrorism as he ramps up efforts to go after political opposition. “This is the first time in American history that there is an all of government effort...
FBI ex-chief James Comey criminally charged as Trump targets critics
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday, in a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump’s retribution campaign against his political enemies. If convicted, Comey could face up to five years in prison. He faces charges of making false statements and...
‘Time to stop’: Trump vows Israel will not annex West Bank
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, rejecting calls from some far-right politicians in Israel who want to extend sovereignty over the area and snuff out hopes for a viable Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has...
Trump says U.S. will distribute aid to farmers until tariffs kick in to their benefitVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States would give proceeds from tariff revenues to farmers. “We’re going to take some of that tariff money and give it to our farmers,” Trump said at the White House. The U.S. farm economy is slumping this year because of...
Fed’s Lisa Cook urges Supreme Court to reject Trump’s bid to fire her
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to reject Donald Trump’s attempt to fire her, telling the justices the Republican president’s unprecedented move would destroy the central bank’s independence and disrupt financial markets. Lawyers for Cook filed a written response opposing the Justice Department’s...
Hegseth abruptly summons top military commanders to a meeting next week in Virginia
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned the military’s top officers — hundreds of generals and admirals — to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week, according to three people familiar with the matter. The directive did not offer a reason for the gathering next...
Israeli strikes kill at least 17 Palestinians in Gaza as leaders ramp up pressure for a ceasefire
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel struck houses and tents in central and southern Gaza on Thursday, crushing families inside and killing at least 17 Palestinians, including 10 children and three women, local health officials said, as international pressure for a ceasefire continued to grow. On the sidelines of the...
Palestinian president: Hamas will have no role in governing postwar Gaza
UNITED NATIONS — The Palestinian president, speaking over video after the United States revoked his visa, told world leaders Thursday that his people “reject” the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing Gaza after war ends and must hand over...
Starbucks to close hundreds of stores, lay off 900 workers as part of turnaround plan
Starbucks said Thursday it’s closing hundreds of U.S. and Canadian stores and laying off 900 nonretail employees as it focuses more of its resources on a turnaround. The Seattle coffee giant said store closures would start immediately. The company wouldn’t give a number of stores that are closing, but it...
U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3.8% pace in significant upgrade of 2nd quarter growth
WASHINGTON — An uptick in consumer spending helped the U.S. economy expand at a surprising 3.8% from April through June, the government reported in a dramatic upgrade of its previous estimate of second-quarter growth. U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded in the...
U.S. home sales remained sluggish in August despite late-summer mortgage rate slide
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes remained sluggish in August, even as a late-summer slide in mortgage rates brought home loan borrowing costs to a 10-month low. Existing home sales slipped 0.2% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4 million units, the National Association of...
Gaza-bound flotilla says it was attacked by drones; Italy and Spain send help
ATHENS, Greece — Activists in a flotilla seeking to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones south of Greece, prompting Spain and Italy to send navy vessels for possible rescues. The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the night...
Paris court rules former President Sarkozy will have to go to prison even if he appeals
PARIS — A Paris court sentenced former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to 5 years in prison and — in a major surprise — said he’ll be incarcerated even if he appeals, after finding him guilty Thursday in his trial for alleged illegal campaign financing by Libya. Sarkozy said he was...
Ukrainians cautious after Trump shifts stance, saying they can win the war against Russia
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainians were cautious Wednesday in their response to a surprise pivot in U.S. President Donald Trump’s views on their prospects for defeating Russia’s invasion, after he said they could win the three-year war and retake land captured by Moscow. Russian officials, meanwhile, said developments on the battlefield...
Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at U.N. and Secret Service is looking into the matter
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was the victim of “three very sinister events” during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues. The president was attending the U.N. General Assembly, where he gave a speech...
Judge rules feds can’t require states to cooperate on immigration to get disaster money
BOSTON — A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Wednesday that it’s unconstitutional to require states to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get funding for disasters, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A coalition of 20 state Democratic attorneys general in May filed a federal...
Justice Department to try to charge ex-FBI Director James Comey
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is preparing to ask a grand jury as soon as Thursday to indict former FBI Director James Comey on allegations that he lied to Congress as prosecutors approach a legal deadline for bringing charges, according to two people familiar with the matter. Officials are hoping...
Pentagon adds exemptions to requirement for all troops to get the flu shot
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has stepped back from the policy that requires all troops to get the flu shot every year by introducing exemptions for reservists and proclaiming that the shot is only necessary in some circumstances for all service members, according to a document obtained by The Associated Press....
Federal judge refuses to reinstate 8 former inspectors general fired by Trump administration
WASHINGTON — A federal judge refused on Wednesday to reinstate eight former inspectors general who filed a lawsuit after the Trump administration fired them with no warning and little explanation. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said that while President Donald Trump likely violated the federal law governing the process for...
Trump snubs Biden with autopen photo on new Presidential Walk of FameVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has added a Presidential Walk of Fame to the exterior of the White House, featuring portraits of each of the previous commanders-in-chief — except for one. Instead of a headshot of Joe Biden, the Republican incumbent instead hung a photo of an autopen signing the...
Justice Department official ordered to drop inquiry into Sandy Hook lawsuit against Alex JonesVideo
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has ordered a senior U.S. Justice Department official to drop an inquiry into a retired FBI agent’s involvement in a defamation lawsuit involving Alex Jones’ conspiracy theories about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, according to a person familiar with the matter. Ed Martin Jr.,...
Judge scolds Justice Department over public statements in UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case
NEW YORK — At least two senior Justice Department officials likely broke court rules governing the conduct of prosecutors by reposting comments President Donald Trump made about Luigi Mangione, the man accused of assassinating the CEO at UnitedHealthcare, a federal judge said Wednesday. Judge Margaret M. Garnett said in an...
Statue of Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein removed from National Mall
First, it was the giant poop emoji statue. Now, it’s a statue of President Donald Trump holding hands with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. The new 12-foot-tall, spray-painted bronze statue was titled “Best Friends Forever,” and it appeared on the National Mall in front...
