SILVER SPRING, Md. — As if a cup of coffee wasn’t expensive enough, a confluence of factors is driving up farmers' costs to grow the beans and it could begin filtering down to your local cafe before the end of the year. After hovering for years near $1 per pound,...
Biden, Congress Face Big Week for Agenda, Government Funding
WASHINGTON — It's a consequential week for President Joe Biden's agenda, as Democratic leaders trim back his $3.5 trillion tax and spending package to win over remaining lawmakers and work to quickly pass legislation to avoid a federal shutdown. Biden’s domestic agenda is hanging in the balance, at risk of...
Facebook Puts Instagram for Kids on Hold After Pushback
Facebook is putting a hold on the development of a kids' version of Instagram, geared toward children under 13, to address concerns that have been raised about the vulnerability of younger users. “I still firmly believe that it’s a good thing to build a version of Instagram that’s designed to...
California Bill Aims to Reduce Deaths for Black Mothers
California has among the lowest death rates nationally among pregnant women and new mothers, but the numbers for Black mothers tell a different story. They were six times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than white women from 2014 to 2016 and had a higher rate of...
PG&E Charged in California Wildfire Last Year That Killed 4
Pacific Gas & Electric was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes after its equipment sparked a Northern California wildfire that killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes last year, prosecutors said. It is the latest legal action against the nation’s largest utility, which pleaded guilty last year...
California GOP Plots Rebound After Devastating Recall Defeat
LOS ANGELES — California Republicans are eager to move on from their failed effort to unseat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election and focus on U.S. House races next year that could determine which party controls Congress and whether House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy advances to the speaker’s...
Biden: Budget Talks Hit ‘Stalemate,’ $3.5T May Take a While
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday that talks over his $3.5 trillion rebuilding plan have hit a “stalemate" in Congress as he made the case for his expansive effort to recast the nation's tax and spending programs and make what he sees as sweeping, overdue investments. Biden spoke at...
China Says All Crypto Transactions Illegal; Bitcoin Tumbles
BEIJING — China’s central bank on Friday declared all transactions involving Bitcoin and other virtual currencies illegal, stepping up a campaign to block use of unofficial digital money. Friday’s notice complained Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies disrupt the financial system and are used in money-laundering and other crimes. “Virtual...
Former ABC News Executive Says Chris Cuomo Harassed Her
NEW YORK — A veteran TV news executive says CNN anchor Chris Cuomo sexually harassed her by squeezing her buttocks at a party in 2005. Shelley Ross said in an opinion piece in The New York Times on Friday that Chris Cuomo, who had formerly reported to her at ABC...
Slain Woman Gabby Petito’s Boyfriend Indicted for Bank Fraud
BILLINGS, Mont. — Federal officials say the boyfriend of Gabby Petito, whose body was found at a national park in Wyoming after a cross country trip with him, has been indicted for unauthorized use of a debit card as searchers continued looking for him in Florida swampland. The federal grand...