Trump loses bid to halt Jan. 6 lawsuits while he fights criminal charges in the 2020 election case
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump lost a bid Thursday to pause a string of lawsuits accusing him of inciting the U.S. Capitol attack, while the former president fights his 2020 election interference criminal case in Washington.
Two shootings, two different responses — Maine restricts guns while Iowa arms teachers
Six months after a deadly mass shooting by an Army reservist, Maine lawmakers this week passed a wide-ranging package of new gun restrictions.
Indonesians leave homes near erupting volcano and airport closes due to ash danger
MANADO, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami.
Justice Department ramps up efforts to reduce violent crime with gun intel center, carjacking forces
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is ramping up its efforts to reduce violent crime in the U.S., launching a specialized gun intelligence center in Chicago and expanding task forces to curb carjackings.
Long-lost first model of the USS Enterprise from ‘Star Trek’ boldly goes home after twisting voyage
DALLAS — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing.
Nation and world news in brief for Thursday, April 18, 2024
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar
Boeing put under Senate scrutiny during back-to-back hearings on aircraft maker’s safety culture
An engineer at Boeing said Wednesday that the aircraft company, in rushing to produce as many planes as possible, is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart.
Senate rejects impeachment articles against Mayorkas, ending trial against Cabinet secretary
WASHINGTON — The Senate dismissed all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, ending the House Republican push to remove the Cabinet secretary from office over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and shutting down his trial before arguments even began.
9 are facing charges in what police in Canada say is the biggest gold theft in the country’s history
TORONTO — Police said nine people are facing charges in what authorities are calling the biggest gold theft in Canadian history from Toronto’s Pearson International airport a year ago.
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in US more likely to believe in climate change: AP-NORC poll
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States are more likely than the overall adult population to believe in human-caused climate change, according to a new poll. It also suggests that partisanship may not have as much of an impact on this group’s environmental views, compared to Americans overall.
A storm dumps record rain across the desert nation of UAE and floods Dubai’s airport
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting flights through the world’s busiest airfield for international travel.
Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 17 people as the war approaches a critical stage
KYIV, Ukraine — Three Russian missiles slammed into a downtown area of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Wednesday, hitting an eight-floor apartment building and killing at least 17 people, authorities said.
Biden vows to shield US steel industry by blocking Japanese merger and seeking new Chinese tariffs
PITTSBURGH — President Joe Biden promised cheering, unionized steelworkers on Wednesday that his administration would block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, and he called for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel, seeking to use trade policy to win over working-class votes in the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Cloning makes three: Two more endangered ferrets are gene copies of critter frozen in 1980s
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Two more black-footed ferrets have been cloned from the genes used for the first clone of an endangered species in the U.S., bringing to three the number of slinky predators genetically identical to one of the last such animals found in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.
First 7 jurors are chosen for Trump’s hush money criminal trial; 11 more still needed
NEW YORK — The first seven jurors for Donald Trump’s hush money trial were seated Tuesday after lawyers grilled the jury pool about their social media posts, political views and personal lives to decide who can sit in fair judgment of the former president.
Biden’s latest plan for student loan cancellation moves forward as a proposed regulation
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s latest plan for student loan cancellation is moving forward as a proposed regulation, offering him a fresh chance to deliver on a campaign promise and energize young voters ahead of the November election.
Supreme Court questions obstruction charges brought against Jan. 6 rioters and Trump
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned whether federal prosecutors went too far in bringing obstruction charges against hundreds of participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. But it wasn’t clear how the justices would rule in a case that also could affect the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, who faces the same charge for his efforts to overturn his election loss in 2020.
Facing a Republican revolt, House Speaker Johnson pushes ahead on US aid for Ukraine, allies
WASHINGTON — Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.
New recruiting programs put Army, Air Force on track to meet enlistment goals. Navy will fall short
WASHINGTON — After several difficult years, the Army and Air Force say they are on track to meet their recruiting goals this year, reversing previous shortfalls using a swath of new programs and policy changes. But the Navy, while improving, expects once again to fall short.
UK lawmakers back landmark bill to gradually phase out smoking for good
LONDON — The British government’s plan for a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking cleared its first hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday despite vocal opposition from within Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.