AUSTIN, Texas — President Donald Trump thanked farmers Sunday for supporting him through a trade war with China as he promoted a new North American trade agreement and a separate one with China that he said will massively benefit farmers. “We did it,” Trump said, recalling his campaign promises to...
AP Fact Check: Distortion in Trump's Impeachment Defense
WASHINGTON — In his first formal response to impeachment charges, President Donald Trump misrepresented the testimony of a key witness who described an exchange of favors in the Ukraine matter. The claim marked a week of frequent exaggeration and distortion by the president heading into the opening statements of his impeachment trial. Just...
Newly Released Texts Tie Nunes Aide Closer to Ukraine Plot
WASHINGTON — New documents released by House Democrats suggest that Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, was more deeply involved than was previously known in efforts by allies of President Donald Trump to dig up dirt in Ukraine on former Vice President Joe Biden. Democrats...
‘Days of God’: A Look at Iran’s Mounting Crisis
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran's supreme leader says his nation is living through “days of God.” The Islamic Republic has been reeling from one crisis to another, from the targeted killing by the United States of its top general to the Revolutionary Guard's accidental shootdown of a passenger plane...
Poll Reveals Mounting Pressure on Newsom to Fix Homelessness
Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke powerfully about California's homelessness crisis during his Wednesday stop in Fresno, saying “Enough is enough. We got to own this. We got to meet this moment." Listen to this article: But, in addition to fulfilling the moral imperative of giving people a hand up, the governor has...
Ukrainian Prime Minister Submits Resignation After Tapes
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine's prime minister submitted his resignation Friday, days after he was caught on tape saying President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — a former sitcom star with no previous political experience — knows nothing about the economy. The scandal comes at a fraught moment for Zelenskiy, who has found himself...
Senate Passes US-Canada-Mexico Trade Deal, a Trump Priority
WASHINGTON — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new North American trade agreement Thursday that rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico and gives President Donald Trump a major policy win before senators turn their full attention to his impeachment trial. The vote was 89-10. The measure goes to...
Merced Man Sentenced for Aiding Alleged Killer of Cpl. Ronil Singh
A man in the United States illegally was sentenced to 21 months in prison in Fresno federal court Wednesday for helping a suspect try to escape to his native Mexico after officials say he killed a Newman police officer. Erik Quiroz Razo, 28, of Merced, had faced a maximum of...
Watchdog: White House Violated Law in Freezing Ukraine Aid
WASHINGTON — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the center of President Donald Trump's impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday. The Government Accountability Office said in a report that the Office of Management and Budget violated the law in holding up...
Senate Opens to Hear Articles of Impeachment Against Trump
WASHINGTON — The Senate opens its historic proceedings against President Donald Trump on Thursday with a formal reading of the charges by House prosecutors, followed by the arrival at the Capitol of Chief Justice John Roberts, who will swear in all 100 senators as jurors for only the third impeachment...