Trending
US expands attacks on Iran, which calls Strait of Hormuz a ‘red line’ as it retaliates
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The United States intensified its strikes on Iran, hitting targets farther north. American forces also fired into a ship they accused of trying to break a U.S. naval blockade on the Islamic Republic. Iran retaliated Thursday with missile and drone fire targeting U.S. allies Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. The interim ceasefire agreed to last month has collapsed and the region has endured days of back-and-forth attacks by the U.S. and Iran as they battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. launched a second wave of strikes late Thursday, saying it was aiming to “further degrade” Iran’s military capabilities. Iranian officials say U.S. strikes in recent days have killed more than 35 people.
Trump is expected to make election conspiracies a focus of his national address
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on topics he says will include elections and voting machines. Trump’s comments suggest he’s likely in Thursday’s speech to revisit some of the unproven claims he’s previously made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden. Elevating the deeply political and conspiratorial topics to a presidential primetime address underscores the lengths to which Trump has used his second term to both blow past norms and fixate on old grievances. It’s unclear if TV networks are planning to air the speech or to what extent.
Canadian wildfire smoke turns air hazardous in the US Midwest. Officials say stay inside
NEW YORK (AP) -- Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires is darkening skies in parts of the U.S. The smoke on Thursday prompted warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangers for people from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast. Detroit’s air quality was among the worst in the world for major cities. A lingering high pressure system trapped smoke from dozens of fires in Canada and winds from the northwest blew it into Michigan. In New York City, a thick, gloomy haze tinged partly obscured Manhattan’s skyline. Officials are urging people to stay indoors.
Trump administration revives rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits
MIAMI (AP) -- The Trump administration is reviving a rule that could deny green cards to immigrants who use public benefits that could include food stamps, Medicaid, housing vouchers and others. The policy, known as “public charge,” appeared on Thursday in the Federal Register and will be formally published on July 20. The policy was first implemented in February 2020 as one of President Donald Trump’s moves to limit legal immigration during his first administration, but it was reversed after Democratic President Joe Biden came to power.
Rubio gathers countries on left-wing political violence as it becomes a Trump focus in elections
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has convened leaders from over 60 countries to take part in the Trump administration’s latest effort to quell what it calls “left-wing” political terrorism. The conference on Thursday highlighted one of the marquee issues for Republicans heading into the midterm elections. Rubio and other U.S. officials painted a dark image of the future if the “communists and Marxists” perpetrating these supposed acts are not defeated. He urged leaders in attendance -- mostly from European and Latin American countries -- to join together to address the global trend, which he says has been a “blind spot” in counterterrorism doctrine.
Republican senator says Blanche must meet Epstein’s accusers to earn his vote for attorney general
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Republican senator whose vote Todd Blanche needs to advance his nomination as attorney general says his support hinges on Blanche first meeting with Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers. Sen. Thom Tillis’ comments Thursday came a day after Blanche’s confirmation hearing. Then, the nominee was pressed on the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. Without Tillis’ support, Blanche’s nomination can’t advance in the Senate. Tillis says he has a “positive predisposition” toward Blanche but has not made up his mind. Blanche told reporters on Thursday that he was trying to schedule a meeting with Epstein accusers.
Trump administration races the clock to rebuild US tariff wall knocked down by Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Treasury last year swelled with revenue from President Donald Trump’s double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on earth. But the money dried up after the Supreme Court struck down the biggest and boldest of Trump’s tariffs in February. The question now is: Can the president’s trade team make good on its promise to replace the lost revenue? A July 24 deadline is approaching rapidly. But trade attorneys and analysts are confident the tariff-happy Trump administration will manage to beat the clock. “They’re going to raise the tariff wall again,” said one trade lawyer.
Slumping AI stocks overshadow gains for the rest of Wall Street, while oil prices drift
NEW YORK (AP) -- Computer chipmakers and other winners of the AI boom are slumping again and weighing on stock markets worldwide. They’re helping to drown out strength for most of the rest of Wall Street on Thursday, leaving U.S. stocks mixed. The S&P 500 dipped 0.5%, even though most of the stocks within it rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 153 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 1.2%. The losses were sharper in South Korea, where AI winners whipped lower. Yields rose in the bond market. Oil prices erased an early gain to dip modestly.
At least 1 person has died as Texas flooding forces evacuations and rescues, governor says
UVALDE, Texas (AP) -- Authorities in Texas have rescued dozens of stranded drivers and people trapped in homes and at least one person has died due to catastrophic flooding. Gov. Greg Abbott said during a news conference Thursday there has been “one loss of life” due to the disaster in Texas Hill Country. The region is still recovering from devastating floods a year ago. The National Weather Service says a “deadly flood wave” is barreling down the Guadalupe River that runs alongside Camp Mystic. That’s where two dozen children and two counsellors were killed last July. Rivers are rising hour by hour, turning them into fast-moving seas of white water. Abbott has issued disaster declarations for dozens of counties.
FDA approves a first-of-its-kind pill to cut cholesterol in high-risk patients
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-its-kind pill that can drastically reduce cholesterol. The drug cleared Thursday can lower dangerous cholesterol in a way that’s previously only been available with expensive, injectable drugs. The Lipfendra pill from Merck is the first noninjectable option for blocking a liver protein that interferes with the body’s ability to clear cholesterol from the blood. Biotech injectables targeting the protein have been available from other drugmakers for more than a decade. But patient access has been limited by high prices, insurance restrictions and low prescribing by doctors.