Year: 2021

By JOSH BOAK and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — President Joe Biden is touting his $1 trillion infrastructure plan as an eventual fix for the nation’s inflation and supply chain woes — if Americans just have the patience to wait for the construction to begin. The president toured the Port of Baltimore Wednesday

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Women — and some men — in Congress have been fighting for government child care assistance for almost 80 years. With President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social services package, they are as close as they have ever been to winning. And it’s not

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An activist group says South Korea has rejected refugee status for four ethnic Chinese people who have been “stateless” since they fled North Korea years ago. Unlike ethnic Chinese, North Korean defectors get citizenship and economic assistance in South Korea. The four Chinese North Koreans

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — At least 13 former Trump administration officials violated the law by intermingling campaigning with their official government duties. That’s according to a new federal investigation released Tuesday. Among those named in the report are Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

By NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has rejected former President Donald Trump’s request to block the release of documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Tuesday declined to issue a preliminary injunction, saying Congress has a strong public interest in

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, ERIC TUCKER and JILL COLVIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House investigators have issued subpoenas to 10 more former officials who worked for Donald Trump at the end of his presidency. They are part of a committee’s effort to find out more about what the president was doing and saying as

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Paul Rudd has been crowned as 2021’s Sexiest Man Alive by People magazine. Rudd, known for his starring roles in Marvel’s “Ant-Man” films, “This is 40” and the cult classic “Clueless,” was revealed as this year’s winner Tuesday night on CBS’ “The Late Show

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — As vaccination rates rise in many parts of the world and even countries that previously had strict COVID-containment strategies gingerly ease restrictions, China is doubling down on its zero-tolerance policy. The approach includes strict lockdowns, multiple rounds of mass testing and centralized quarantine. China pioneered it

By JANIE HAR Associated Press OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — U.S. food banks dealing with increased demand from families sidelined by the pandemic now face a new challenge – surging food prices and supply chain issues. The higher costs and limited availability mean some families may get smaller servings or substitutions for staples like peanut butter,

By MICHAEL TARM AP Legal Affairs Writer KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors have concluded testimony at Kyle Rittenhouse’s homicide trial after calling more than a dozen witnesses, some of whom appeared to help the defense more than the prosecution. They rested Tuesday. The onus was on prosecutors to counter Rittenhouse’s claim to have acted in

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom will visit a COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot clinic in Los Angeles County to highlight the state’s ongoing efforts to increase vaccination rates heading into the winter season. Newsom has a full schedule again after after receding from public view for nearly

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Legal experts say Kyle Rittenhouse held his own on the witness stand. Rittenhouse is standing trial for shooting three men during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year. He has argued he fired in self-defense. His attorneys made the risky decision to put

By DEE-ANN DURBIN and CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press Writers BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Never in its 50-year history has Starbucks relied on union workers to serve up frothy lattes as its U.S. cafes. But some baristas aim to change that. Workers at three separate Starbucks stores in and around Buffalo, New York, are expected to