NEW YORK — Wall Street is easing toward the end of its dreary February, and U.S. stock indexes are drifting following an economic report that included both encouraging and discouraging trends. The S&P 500 was up 0.6% in morning trading and trimming its loss for the month, which had been...
Gene Hackman and Wife Betsy Arakawa May Have Been Dead for Days or Weeks, Sheriff Says
SANTA FE, N.M. — Authorities investigating the deaths of Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife are waiting for the results of the autopsies, and carbon monoxide and toxicology testing to determine how they died. Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, apparently had been dead for days or even a couple...
Trump to Sign Order Friday Designating English as the Official Language of the US
President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Friday designating English as the official language of the United States, according to the White House. The order will allow government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in...
Measles: What to Know and How to Avoid One of the World’s Most Contagious Viruses
Measles is rarely seen in the United States, but Americans are growing more concerned about the preventable virus as cases continue to rise in rural West Texas. This week, an unvaccinated child died in the West Texas outbreak, which involves more than 120 cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control...
Egypt Says Negotiations Between Israel and Hamas on Next Phase of Ceasefire Have Begun
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Negotiations between Israel and Hamas on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire began Thursday in the Egyptian capital, Egypt said, averting a collapse ahead of Saturday's expiration of the agreement's first phase. Officials from Israel, Qatar and the United States started "intensive discussions" on...
Congress Votes to Kill Biden-Era Methane Fee on Oil and Gas Producers
WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Biden's climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming "super pollutant." The fee, which had not gone into effect, was...
Social Security Administration Could Cut Up to 50% of Its Workforce
WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, according to a person familiar with the agency's plans who is not authorized to speak publicly. The workforce reduction, according to a second person who also spoke on condition of...
Vagabond A’s Enter Their Sacramento Era With Improved Roster, Playoff Expectations
MESA, Ariz. — The Athletics have moved about an hour east from Oakland to the Sacramento area, where they will be based in a minor league ballpark for the next three seasons while hoping a more permanent home in Las Vegas will be ready in 2028. If this doesn't sound...
Shohei Ohtani to Make Spring Training Debut Against Angels on Friday Night
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani will make his first spring training appearance of the year on Friday night against his old team, the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani, 30, will be the designated hitter. Roberts has not given a timetable for Ohtani's return to...
Middle East Latest: Hamas Says It Is Ready to Negotiate the Next Phase of the Ceasefire
Hamas said Thursday it was ready to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after a swap overnight in which it handed over what it said were the remains of four hostages in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian detainees held by Israel....