WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has deployed a new addition to its nuclear arsenal — a long-range missile armed with a nuclear warhead of reduced destructive power. The so-called low-yield missile joins other, more powerful weapons aboard stealthy submarines prowling the oceans. The debut deployment aboard long-range submarines, known as...
Australia Sending Aid to Wildfire Towns as Death Toll Rises
PERTH, Australia — Australia deployed military ships and aircraft Wednesday to help communities ravaged by apocalyptic wildfires that have left at least 17 people dead nationwide and sent thousands of residents and holidaymakers fleeing to the shoreline. Navy ships and military aircraft were bringing water, food and fuel to towns...
Dictionary.com Chooses 'Existential' as Word of the Year
NEW YORK — Climate change, gun violence, the very nature of democracy and an angsty little movie star called Forky helped propel “existential” to Dictionary.com’s word of the year. The choice reflects months of high-stakes threats and crises, real and pondered, across the news, the world and throughout 2019. “In...
Wildfire Burning in California Mountains Grows
GOLETA — A wildfire burning Tuesday on Southern California mountains north of Santa Barbara forced as many as 6,300 people from their homes, but an approaching storm offered hope that the flames would be doused, authorities said. The fire was a threat to an estimated 2,400 structures, Santa Barbara County...
Science Has Identified Common Threads in School Shootings
Understandably, we will hear a call to action in response to the shooting that left two young people dead at Saugus High School. One political tribe will extend its thoughts and prayers and the other will demand sensible gun control. In a matter of days, the rhetoric and, sadly, the...
Mexico Claims Success in Stopping Migrants; Activists Say No
MEXICO CITY — Under threat of crippling U.S. tariffs, Mexico said Friday it had reduced the flow of migrants arriving at its northern border by 56% in three months. Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said he believes Mexico's strategy of cracking down on illegal migration with a National Guard deployment, investment...
Taliban Suicide Blast in Kabul Kills 14, Wounds 145
KABUL, Afghanistan — A Taliban car bomb aimed at Afghan security forces ripped through a busy Kabul neighborhood on Wednesday, killing 14 people and wounding 145 — most of them women, children and other civilians — shortly after the extremist group and the United States reported progress on negotiating an...
Worried About Wildfires, Californians Ready for Action on Climate Change
A majority of Californians believe global warming is happening now and that it’s a serious threat to the Golden State’s future, according to the results of a recent poll. What’s more, Californians are ready to cast their votes and spend their money to fight it. The findings from the Public Policy Institute...
Trump Insists There's More to Mexico Deal Than Meets the Eye
STERLING, Va. — Stung by criticism that his deal to avert threatened Mexican tariffs mostly ramps up existing efforts, President Donald Trump is insisting there's more to it than meets the eye. In a pair of tweets Monday morning, Trump claimed Mexico had agreed to more than what was revealed in the...
US Commander Says He Believes Iranian Threat 'Is Very Real'
BAGHDAD — Iran has chosen to "step back and recalculate" after making preparations for an apparent attack against U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf region, but it is too early to conclude the threat is gone, the top commander of American forces in the Mideast said. In an interview with...