Month: February 2023

By PETER SMITH Associated Press An array of U.S. Jewish leaders are sounding alarms about what they see as a threat to Israel’s democracy posed by its new government, fearing it will erode the independence of its judiciary and legal protections for minority groups. While some Jewish leaders dismiss such fears are overblown, a solid

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press Disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh denied killing his wife and son but admitted lying to investigators about when he last saw them alive as he took the stand in his own defense Thursday. Murdaugh, 54, is charged with murder in the fatal shootings of his wife, Maggie, 52, and

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WINDHOEK, Namibia (AP) — Jill Biden’s visit to Namibia was a big hit with scores of giddy children who crowded around her Thursday as she handed out boxes of White House M&Ms. She was visiting a nongovernmental organization that gets U.S. support for programs to teach young adults about HIV/AIDS

By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer Nearly 30 million Americans who got extra government help with grocery bills during the pandemic will soon see that aid shrink. An analysis shows for the average recipient, the change will mean about $90 less per month in food stamps. In 32 states and other jurisdictions, the COVID-19 emergency

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Think your boss is bad? The one in the new TV series “The Consultant” phones his workers in the middle of the night, nixes all remote work, fires people with long-term illnesses, invites himself to after-work staff drinks and clips his nails at his desk.

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has discussed energy, economic and security issues in Bucharest with his visiting Moldovan counterpart, as the two neighbors seek to boost ties amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. Iohannis’ office said Thursday’s talks with Moldovan President Maia Sandu would aim to bring her country closer to the 27-nation

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer In the latest effort to limit abortion access, opponents of the procedure are seeking to ban one of the two drugs used in medication abortions. If they succeed, only one of the pills would be available. But women would still be able to get abortions. In November, an anti-abortion

DEER PARK, Texas (AP) — A Texas county official says there are outstanding questions about the transportation and disposal of toxic wastewater that has been moved to a Houston suburb from the site of an Ohio train derailment. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says 500,000 gallons of wastewater from a fiery Feb. 3 derailment in

BERLIN (AP) — A German court has convicted a Palestinian man from Syria of a war crime and murder for launching a grenade into a crowd of civilians waiting for food in Damascus in 2014. He was sentenced to life in prison. The 55-year-old was arrested in 2021 in Berlin, where he had been living

By MARK PRATT Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Dr. Seuss fans might find their hearts growing three sizes this coming holiday season with the release of a sequel to the 1957 classic children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” The new book picks up one year after the original, and like the first, teaches a

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The number of Americans filing for jobless aid fell last week as the labor market remains resilient in the face of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases meant to cool the economy. Applications for unemployment benefits in the U.S. for the week ending Feb. 18 fell by 3,000 last

PRAGUE (AP) — A Chinese pangolin has been born in the Prague zoo, the first birth of the critically endangered animal in Europe. The park says it is doing well after initial troubles. For the first few days after the female baby was born on Feb. 2, the park keepers were worried by the baby

By JOHN SEEWER, MICHAEL RUBINKAM and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — The crew operating a freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, didn’t get much warning before dozens of cars went off the tracks, and there is no indication that crew members did anything wrong, federal investigators said Thursday as

RUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental evaluation at the request of the attorney for a man who was arrested in North Carolina while driving the car of a dead South Florida Lyft driver. WLOS-TV reported that the order came Wednesday as Florida officials work to extradite 35-year-old Matthew Scott Flores. He

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.7% annual rate from October through December, a solid showing despite rising interest rates and elevated inflation, the government said in a downgrade from its initial estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy grew at a 2.9% annual

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese officials say Beirut’s pubic prosecutor has charged the governor of the cash-strapped country’s Central Bank, his brother and an associate with corruption. Two judicial officials say the prosecutor, Raja Hamoush, on Thursday charged Gov. Riad Salameh, his assistant Marianne Howaiyak, and his brother Raja Salameh with

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s foreign minister says the Gulf Arab state of Oman has decided to allow Israeli planes to fly through its airspace. Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority said it was opening its airspace for all carriers. The move was another sign of closer ties between Israel and some Arab countries. It comes

By DAVID FISCHER and FREIDA FRISARO Associated Press A man riding in a car with his cousin shot and killed another passenger then returned to the same neighborhood near Orlando hours later and shot four more people, killing a journalist covering the original shooting and a 9-year-old girl, Florida police and witnesses said. Orange County

By The Associated Press BAKHMUT, Ukraine (AP) — Amid the smoking ruins, a lone dog pads in the snow, surely unaware — or perhaps too hungry to care — that death rains down regularly from the skies on the remnants of this Ukrainian city that Russia is pounding into rubble. But for now Bakhmut stands

By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zendaya, Jason Bateman, Jeff Bridges and Aubrey Plaza will be some of the presenters at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film categories, including its marquee film ensemble award, are a key Oscar bellwether. This year’s ceremony will be their first as part of a multiyear deal