U.S. officials say 40 Boeing jets have been inspected
Federal officials have briefed a congressional committee on their investigations into a jetliner that lost a panel of its fuselage in midflight this month and revealed that airlines have inspected 40 identical Boeing planes.
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Power line falls during Oregon ice storm, killing 3
PORTLAND, Ore. — A power line fell on a parked car in northeast Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring a baby during an ice storm that turned roads and mountain highways treacherous in the Pacific Northwest.
Some U.S. states get 2020 census numbers double-checked
Illinois is adding tens of thousands of people to its population total, and California is getting misplaced sailors on an aircraft carrier put in the right location, after successfully asking for a review of their 2020 census figures.
Medicine for hostages and Palestinians arrives in Gaza
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas arrived in Gaza on Wednesday, part of a France- and Qatar- mediated deal that marked the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire in November.
UN: Estimated 60,000 Palestinians overwhelm doctors
UNITED NATIONS — Palestinians are dying every day in Gaza’s overwhelmed remaining hospitals which can’t deal with the estimated 60,000 injured people and daily arrival of hundreds more hurt in Israeli’s military offensive, a U.N. health emergency expert said Wednesday, while a doctor with the International Rescue Committee called the situation in Gaza’s hospitals the most extreme she had ever seen.
West looking to steer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s been nearly two years since the United States and its allies froze hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian foreign holdings in retaliation for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. That roughly $300 billion in Russian Central Bank money has been sitting untapped as the war grinds on, while officials from multiple countries have debated the legality of sending the money to Ukraine.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels attack a US-owned ship
JERUSALEM — A U.S.-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden came under attack Wednesday from a bomb-carrying drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.
Drought forces authorities to slash traffic in Panama Canal
PANAMA CITY — A severe drought that began last year has forced authorities to slash ship crossings by 36% in the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes.
Slowing inflation suggests Biden’s policies are helping
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden can make an increasingly strong case that he’s helped fix inflation — if only he can get voters to believe him.
Arctic freeze continues to blast huge swaths of U.S.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Brutally cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills stayed put across much of the U.S. on Monday, promising the coldest temperatures ever for Iowa’s presidential nominating contest, holding up travelers, and testing the mettle of NFL fans in Buffalo for a playoff game that was delayed a day by wind-whipped snow.
Boeing jetliner that suffered blowout was not being used for flights to Hawai‘i
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Boeing jetliner that suffered an inflight blowout over Oregon was not being used for flights to Hawai‘i after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights, a federal official said Sunday.
U.S. national debt hits $34 trillion
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The federal government’s gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high that foreshadows the coming political and economic challenges to improve America’s balance sheet in the coming years.
Japan earthquake claims at least 57 lives
WAJIMA, Japan — A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan left at least 62 people dead Wednesday, as rescue workers fought to save those feared trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.
Japan rocked by 7.6 magnitude earthquake
TOKYO — Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert after issuing one following a series of major earthquakes Monday, but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.
As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. “Nothing,” he said, “is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed.” The powerful new law charged the federal government with saving every endangered plant and animal in America and enjoyed nearly unanimous bipartisan support.
Ice storms and blizzards pummel the central U.S. a day after Christmas
MINNEAPOLIS — From an ice storm in North Dakota that sealed windows shut to blizzard conditions in Colorado causing hundreds of airport delays and cancellations, a winter storm pummeled much of the central United States on Tuesday, the day after Christmas.
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Trump banned from Colorado ballot
DENVER — A divided Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former President Donald Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot, setting up a likely showdown in the nation’s highest court to decide whether the front-runner for the GOP nomination can remain in the race.
Trump defends comments about immigrants
WATERLOO, Iowa — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his comments about migrants crossing the southern border “poisoning the blood” of America, and he reinforced the message while denying any similarities to fascist writings others had noted.
Senate swiftly confirms top military brass
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate unanimously confirmed 11 top-ranking military officers late Tuesday, ending a months-long blockade staged by a single Republican, Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama.
Immigration fuels uptick in U.S. population growth
ORLANDO, Fla. — The number of immigrants to the U.S. jumped to the highest level in two decades this year, driving the nation’s overall population growth, according to estimates released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.