WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has nominated Philip Jefferson, a member of the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, to serve as vice chair of the board, the White House announced Friday. Biden has also chosen Adriana Kugler, a Georgetown University economist, to join the Fed's board. If confirmed by the...
Ukraine Says It Has Retaken Territory Near Embattled Eastern City of Bakhmut
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian military commanders said Friday that their troops had recaptured more territory from Russian forces at the scene of the war’s longest and bloodiest battle, for the eastern city of Bakhmut, but it wasn’t clear if this marked the start of Kyiv’s long-expected counteroffensive. Russia's Defense Ministry,...
State Budget Deficit Balloons to Nearly $32 Billion: Newsom
SACRAMENTO — California's budget deficit has grown to nearly $32 billion, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday, saying the state's challenges are partly due to high federal inflation rates and the state's decision to let some people delay filing their taxes after winter storms. That's about $10 billion more than Newsom...
Marine Veteran Who Choked NYC Subway Rider to Death Surrenders on Manslaughter Charge
NEW YORK — A U.S. Marine veteran who used a fatal chokehold on an agitated fellow passenger on the New York City subway turned himself in Friday as authorities charged him with manslaughter nearly two weeks after the encounter. Daniel Penny, 24, arrived at a police station and was later taken...
Israel Kills 2 Militant Commanders in Gaza as Egypt Presses on With Efforts to Mediate Truce
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed two militant commanders on Thursday, while a 70-year-old man was killed by Palestinian rocket fire in the first fatality inside Israel amid the current wave of fighting. The continuing bloodshed, which has left 28 Palestinians dead, came despite...
Ukraine Says Its Counteroffensive Now Delayed; Britain Says It’s Sent Cruise Missiles to Kyiv
KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in remarks broadcast Thursday that Kyiv is delaying its long-awaited counteroffensive against Russia’s occupying forces because Ukraine lacks enough Western weapons to succeed without suffering too many casualties. Britain Sends Air-Launched Cruise Missiles to Ukraine His remarks, in an interview with European broadcasters, were...
House Republicans Aim to Pass New Asylum Restrictions as Title 42 Ends; Biden Promises Veto
WASHINGTON — House Republicans are seeking Thursday to pass a sweeping bill to build more U.S.-Mexico border wall and impose new restrictions on asylum seekers, creating a hard-line counter to President Joe Biden's policies just as migrants are amassing along the border with the end of coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The Bill's...
Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to California Pork Law Mandating More Space for Pigs
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a California animal cruelty law that affects the pork industry, ruling that the case was properly dismissed by lower courts. Pork producers had said that the law could force industry-wide changes and raise the cost of bacon and other pork...
For Turning ‘Mines to Vines,’ Californian Wins World Food Prize
DES MOINES, Iowa — A California peace activist who has worked to remove land mines from war-torn regions and replace them with grape vines, fruit trees and vegetables was named the 2023 World Food Prize laureate Thursday at a ceremony in Washington. The Des Moines, Iowa-based foundation awarded its annual prize to...
New Blood Donation Rules Allow More Gay Men to Give in US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay and bisexual men in monogamous relationships can donate blood in the U.S. without abstaining from sex, under a federal policy finalized Thursday by health regulators. The Food and Drug Administration guidelines ease decades-old restrictions designed to protect the blood supply from HIV. The agency announced plans for the...