WASHINGTON — The United States announced Friday that it was pulling out of a landmark nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, accusing Moscow of violating the Cold War-era pact with "impunity" by continuing to develop banned missiles. President Donald Trump said Russia has been secretly developing "a prohibited missile system...
US Intel Lists North Korea, not Border, as Threat
WASHINGTON — Directly contradicting President Donald Trump, U.S. intelligence agencies told Congress on Tuesday that North Korea is unlikely to dismantle its nuclear arsenal, that the Islamic State group remains a threat and that the Iran nuclear deal is working. The chiefs made no mention of a crisis at the...
Trump Says ‘Wall’ Must Be Part of Lawmakers’ Border Deal
WASHINGTON — Capitol Hill negotiators are hopeful of an agreement as they officially kick off talks Wednesday on a homeland security spending bill stalled over funding for President Donald Trump's proposed border wall. Left on their own, the seasoned House and Senate lawmakers say they could easily reach a border...
A Davos Without America Mirrors a World Without America
DAVOS -- The atmosphere at the 2019 World Economic Forum reflects the global picture perhaps more genuinely than in years past, and the painting is not very pretty. The mood here is subdued, cautious and apprehensive. There's not much talk of a global slowdown, but no one is confident about...
California Wants Faster Way to Cut Wildfire Risk
SACRAMENTO — California wildland managers said Tuesday that they want to speed up logging and prescribed burns designed to slow wildfires that have devastated communities in recent years. After the deadliest and most destructive blazes in state history, officials are scrapping 12 years of efforts and starting anew on creating...
GOP's McCarthy Says Border Deal Doesn’t Need Word ‘Wall’
WASHINGTON — A border security compromise that Congress hopes to produce doesn't have to include the word "wall," the top House Republican said Tuesday, signaling a rhetorical retreat from a term that President Donald Trump made a keystone of his presidential campaign. The remark by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy,...
Is Mueller Wrapping Up Russia Probe? Acting AG Says Yes.
WASHINGTON — The special counsel's Russia probe is "close to being completed," the acting attorney general said Monday in the first official sign that the investigation may be wrapping up. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker's comments were a departure for the Justice Department, which rarely comments on the state of...
Dems Roast Starbucks Tycoon Over Independent 2020 Bid
SEATTLE — The most powerful super PAC in Democratic politics is promising to make former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz "a target" if he launches an independent presidential bid. Democrats across the political spectrum lashed out at the billionaire businessman on Monday after he teased the prospect of an independent 2020...
Trump Doubts Negotiators Will Strike Budget Deal He’d Accept
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the odds congressional negotiators will craft a deal to end his border wall standoff with Congress are "less than 50-50." As hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal workers prepared to return to work, Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he doesn't think the...
Finally! Trump, Congress Reach Deal to End Shutdown
WASHINGTON — Yielding to mounting pressure and growing disruption, President Donald Trump and congressional leaders on Friday reached a short-term deal to reopen the government for three weeks while negotiations continue over the president's demands for money to build his long-promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. "I am very proud...