Month: October 2021

BEIJING (AP) — A Chinese official says China’s recent increase in military exercises and warplane missions near Taiwan were necessary to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territory. Taiwan sees China’s increased military pressure as advertising its threat to bring the island it claims as its own territory under its control by military means as necessary.

By DAVID KOENIG and ALI SWENSON Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — When Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend, unsupported claims blaming vaccine mandates began taking off. The airline cited bad weather and air traffic control issues. But Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, as well as other Conservative politicians and pundits,

BEIJING (AP) — A strong tropical storm bearing down on Hong Kong has left one person dead and 21 others injured, as city authorities suspended classes, stock market trading and government services. Typhoon Kompasu moved across the South China Sea before hitting China’s southern island province of Hainan, where it was downgraded to a severe

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Walgreens says it will close five more stores in San Francisco next month because of organized retail theft. The drugstore chain has closed at least 10 stores in the city since the start of 2019. San Francisco is fighting an embarrassing reputation for brazen shoplifting. This summer, masked shoplifters carried off

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s High Court has dismissed an intellectual freedom claim by a university physicist who was fired in part over his public statements that scientists exaggerated damage to the Great Barrier Reef caused by climate change. Physicist Peter Ridd had argued he was unlawfully dismissed in 2018 by James Cook University in

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rising inflation has triggered a jump in Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, for 2022. The Social Security Administration revealed the new 5.9% COLA on Wednesday. Compare it with the last 10 years, when the cost-of-living adjustment averaged about 1.7% annually as inflation remained low. But

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a short-term hike to the nation’s debt limit. The vote Tuesday evening ensures the federal government can continue fully paying its bills into December. The legislation next goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. A default would have had

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Progressive leaders in Congress are warning against what they say is a “false choice” over how to trim President Joe Biden’s now-$2 trillion proposal for beefing up social services and tackling climate change. That’s according to a letter Wednesday to Democratic congressional leaders and Biden, obtained

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire raging through Southern California coastal mountains is a threat to ranches and rural homes and is keeping a major highway shut down. The Alisal Fire is covering more than 24 square miles in the Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara. The number of firefighters has nearly doubled

By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Politics Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, is calling on leaders in Washington from both parties — including President Joe Biden — to “get their act together.” In a Tuesday interview with The Associated Press, he also pushed Senate Democrats to scrap the

By ZEKE MILLER and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Beleaguered business owners and families separated by COVID-19 are celebrating after the Biden administration says it will reopen U.S. land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze. Travel across land borders from Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to

BEIJING (AP) — China has reported its imports slowed in September while exports grew at a slightly faster pace. Customs data released Wednesday showed the country’s trade surplus pushing higher on sustained demand in the U.S. and Asia. Exports rose 28.1% to $305.7 billion. That was faster than the 26% increase logged in August. Imports

By JULIE WATSON Associated Press A recording shows that the pilot of a twin-engine plane was repeatedly warned to fly straight and to climb before he crashed into a San Diego suburb, killing himself and someone on the ground. An air traffic controller repeated warnings more than a dozen times to Dr. Sugata Das before

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical depression Pamela has dissipated in northern Mexico after slamming into the country’s Pacific coast as a hurricane, though forecasters warn that its rainy remnants still pose a flooding threat to parts of Texas and Oklahoma. Pamela made landfall early Wednesday about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of the resort and

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Two-time Olympic champion Shim Suk-hee has been cut from South Korea’s short track speedskating team after a reported text message exchange that suggested she may have intentionally tripped a teammate during the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang. The Korea Staking Union is preparing to launch

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Distance runner Mary Cain, whose career fizzled after what she called four miserable years at the Nike Oregon Project, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against her former coach, Alberto Salazar, and their employer, Nike. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Cain accused Salazar of emotionally abusing her when she joined the team at

By ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says the United States will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All international visitors will need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s government has announced the death of Raúl Isaías Baduel, a former Venezuelan defense minister and ally-turned-critic of the late President Hugo Chávez who was in prison awaiting trial since 2017 for alleged links to a purported plot to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro. Attorney General Tarek William Saab announced Tuesday via

By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Politics Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, is calling on leaders in Washington from both parties — including President Joe Biden — to “get their act together.” In a Tuesday interview with The Associated Press, he also pushed Senate Democrats to scrap the

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — One by one, South Africa’s former president listed African countries where the failure to deal with diversity was a root cause of conflict, from the Biafran war in Nigeria in the late 1960s to the current clashes in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Thabo Mbeki also cited

By JOHN FLESHER AP Environmental Writer TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — President Joe Biden has appointed Chicago wastewater official Debra Shore to direct the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Midwestern office. Shore will oversee EPA’s Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin — along with 35 indigenous tribes. The office oversees efforts

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Considering he’s starred for more than 18 seasons on television’s most popular drama, Mark Harmon made a quiet exit from “NCIS” on Monday night. His character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, said he was retiring to Alaska. At Harmon’s request, CBS didn’t promote the special

By PATTY NIEBERG Associated Press/Report for America DENVER (AP) — Colorado state and federal officials announced Tuesday that the state will include gender confirmation care in individual and small group health insurance. The plan under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will include jaw, cheek and eye modifications, face tightening, facial bone remodeling for