ATLANTA — Donald Trump used his social media platform Friday to mock Nikki Haley's birth name, the latest example of the former president keying on race and ethnicity to attack people of color, especially his political rivals. In a post on his Truth Social account, Trump repeatedly referred to Haley,...
2023 Was Slowest Year for US Home Sales in Nearly 30 Years as High Mortgage Rates Frustrated Buyers
LOS ANGELES — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank in 2023 to a nearly 30-year low, as sharply higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a persistently low level of homes on the market combined to push homeownership out of reach for many Americans. The National Association of Realtors Report...
Grand Jury Indicts Alec Baldwin in Fatal Shooting of Cinematographer on Movie Set in New Mexico
SANTA FE, N.M. — A grand jury indicted Alec Baldwin on Friday on an involuntary manslaughter charge in a 2021 fatal shooting during a rehearsal on a movie set in New Mexico, reviving a dormant case against the actor. Special prosecutors brought the case before a grand jury in Santa...
After 4 Decades, Pac-12 Only Football Award Handed Out Possibly for the Last Time
SEATTLE — Inside the ballroom of a swanky downtown Seattle athletic club another small piece to the legacy of Pac-12 football ended Thursday. The Morris Trophy was never a name-brand award handed out following the college football season in part because it honored offensive and defensive linemen, players who sometimes...
Oregon Teen Rescues Baby After Seeing 3 People Get Electrocuted
PORTLAND, Ore. — Majiah Washington noticed a flash outside her home this week in Portland, where a dangerous storm had coated the city with ice. Opening her blinds, she saw a red SUV with a downed power line on it and a couple who had been putting their baby in...
Japan’s Spacecraft Lands on Moon. It’s the 5th Nation to Reach the Lunar Surface.
TOKYO — Japan became the fifth country in history to reach the moon when its spacecraft landed on the lunar surface early Saturday, officials said. But an issue with the power supply means that the mission could be in jeopardy. Officials also said they needed more time to analyze whether...
Wyoming Town Salvages LGBTQ+ Play After Concerns Prompt Cancellation
WHEATLAND, Wyo. — Oliver Baez spent two months rehearsing a scene for a school play in which his character confronts another student about bullying a gay student who takes his own life. After much preparation, the 12-year-old's small scene turned into a big problem among school officials in Wheatland, Wyoming....
Rifts Emerge Among Top Israeli Officials Over Handling of War in Gaza
JERUSALEM — Rifts are emerging among top Israeli officials over the handling of the war against Hamas in Gaza. A member of the country's War Cabinet cast doubt over the strategy for releasing hostages, while the prime minister rejected the United States' calls to scale back its offensive. Hostage Release...
Could It Escalate? A Look at What Is Behind Iran and Pakistan’s Airstrikes
ISLAMABAD — This week's airstrikes between Iran and Pakistan that killed at least 11 people mark a significant escalation in fraught relations between the neighbors. Long-running, low-level insurgencies on either side of the border have frustrated both countries, and the apparent targets of the strikes — Iran's on Tuesday and...
Retail Sales Up Strongly in December as Americans Showed Continued Willingness to Spend
NEW YORK — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers in December, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on an upbeat tone and signaling that people remain confident enough to keep spending freely. Retail sales accelerated 0.6% in December from November's 0.3% increase, the Commerce Department reported...