WASHINGTON — The White House says President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to a former first lieutenant in the U.S. Army convicted in 2009 of killing an Iraqi prisoner. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump granted clemency to Michael Behenna of Oklahoma. Behenna was convicted in 2009 of unpremeditated...
North Korea Tests New Missile – and Trump’s Resolve
TOKYO — North Korea appears to have tested a new short-range missile — and President Donald Trump's resolve to keep it from doing more of the same in the future. The test early Saturday was quickly played down by Trump and his top advisers, who noted it was not the...
Trump Defends Health Workers’ Right to Object to Abortions
WASHINGTON — Advancing his anti-abortion agenda, President Donald Trump moved Thursday to protect health care workers who object to procedures like abortion on moral or religious grounds. Trump chose the National Day of Prayer to announce the new regulation. "Just today we finalized new protections of conscience rights for physicians,...
Cohen’s Prison Reality: A Bunk Bed in Barrack-Style Hall
NEW YORK — "The Situation" and the Fyre Festival fraudster are already there. President Donald Trump's former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, is up next. It's not reality TV. It's a federal prison 70 miles from New York City where white-collar and D-list scoundrels can do time while playing bocce...
California Renews Bid to Get Presidential Candidates’ Taxes
SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature is trying again to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, hoping a new Democratic governor known for his clashes with President Donald Trump won't block them this time. The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state's...
Barr To Be a No-Show for House Hearing, Stepping Up Tensions
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has informed lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee that he will skip a hearing on special counsel Robert Mueller's report, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and the Justice Department. Barr's decision — he cites a disagreement over the questioning — came the...
High-Speed Rail Cost Jumps to $20.4B for Central Valley Segment
SACRAMENTO — The state's reworked plan for high-speed rail now estimates a $20.4 billion price tag to complete 171 miles of track from Merced to Bakersfield by 2028, nearly a decade later than the initial estimate for a much longer Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line. Rail officials issued an update to...
Fed Signals Neither a Rate Hike nor a Cut Is Likely Soon
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled that it's unlikely to either raise or cut rates in coming months amid signs of renewed economic health but unusually low inflation. The Fed left its benchmark rate — which influences many consumer and business loans...
Democrats Using Veterans Bill to Try to Block Border Wall
WASHINGTON — Democrats controlling the House are trying to use a popular veterans measure to block President Donald Trump from transferring $3.6 billion from military base construction to build his long-sought wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Tuesday's move faces certain opposition from Trump and a potential veto threat. Lawmakers often...
Student Says Trump Backers Recruited Him for Buttigieg Smear
A Michigan college student says pro-Trump agitators recruited him to falsely claim he was sexually assaulted by Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, then published the smear without his permission. Hunter Kelly, a 21-year-old gay Trump supporter, said conservative activists Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman sought to use him for the...