AP National News

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — The casket of former Sen. Harry Reid is lying in state at the U.S. Capitol as colleagues and friends gather to pay tribute to a hardscrabble Democrat who served five terms in the Senate and rose to be majority leader. The casket carrying Reid arrived at

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — The U.S. and NATO have rejected key Russian security demands for easing tensions over Ukraine. But they have left open the possibility of future talks with Moscow to discuss other things, like arms control, missile deployments and ways to prevent military incidents. Russian President Vladimir Putin insists

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The third-largest group in the European Parliament has called for the establishment of a committee to investigate abuses by European Union governments with powerful spyware produced by Israel’s NSO Group. Renew Europe, a liberal political grouping, said Wednesday that the use of the software to break

By The Associated Press American Airlines says a passenger entered the open cockpit of a jet that was preparing to take off in Honduras, and he damaged the plane before crew members and police could stop him. American said Wednesday that the man was arrested. The flight, which was bound for Miami, was delayed several

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel says it has broken up an Iranian spy ring that recruited Israeli women via social media. The women agreed to photograph sensitive sites, gather intelligence and in at least two cases, to encourage their sons to join Israeli military intelligence. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat, and the two nations

BERLIN (AP) — The Berlin International Film Festival will take place next month despite rising virus numbers in Germany, especially in the German capital. The festival management said Wednesday that strict pandemic measures would be applied to the 72nd edition of one of the world’s most famous film festivals. Only people who have already been

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck landed individual nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, while the casts of “Belfast” and “CODA” were among those nominated for the guild’s top award, best ensemble. The nominees were announced Wednesday by actors Vanessa

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has given the green light to a lawsuit by an American woman who says Prince Andrew sexually abused her when she was 17. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in an opinion Wednesday that Andrew’s lawyers failed to successfully challenge

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has given the green light to a lawsuit against Prince Andrew by an American woman who says he sexually abused her when she was 17. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote in an opinion Wednesday that Andrew’s lawyers failed to successfully challenge the constitutionality of the lawsuit Virginia

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities investigating the disappearance of a woman who was reported missing found a headless human torso in a freezer that was inside an old bus parked beside a home in New Orleans. Residents say police were in the neighborhood Sunday asking if they smelled anything. Officers returned Tuesday with a search

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks rose in morning trading on Wall Street Wednesday after the latest report of surging prices appeared to keep the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates later this year. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq rose 0.9%.

By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press Democrats are speaking out against school closures even as the omicron variant of COVID-19 puts additional pressures on public schools. That stance risks drawing the anger of some teachers unions and their support for Democratic candidates. Around the country, scattered teachers unions have called for closures, and

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Protesters opposing COVID-19 restrictions in Bulgaria have clashed with police as they were trying to storm the Parliament in Sofia. Heavy police presence prevented protesters from entering the building and some were detained. Several people, including police officers were injured during the clashes. Eventually, the protesters were pushed back, and police

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the military organization and Russia have agreed to try to schedule more meetings despite tensions over Moscow’s military buildup near Ukraine. Stoltenberg said Wednesday that both parties had “expressed the need to dialogue and explore a schedule of future meetings.” But Stoltenberg

NEW YORK (AP) — Police confirmed that the eight children killed in the Bronx apartment building fire that left 17 people dead included a two-year-old boy. New York City police released the names and ages of final three victims identified after the deadly blaze Sunday: a 31-year-old woman, a 47-year-old man and two-year-old Ousmane Konteh,

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices paid by U.S. consumer jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households. Inflation has spiked during the

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson has apologized for attending a garden party during Britain’s first coronavirus lockdown, but brushed aside demands that he resign for breaching the rules his own government had imposed on the nation. The apology Wednesday stopped short of admitting wrongdoing. It was Johnson’s attempt

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Prices paid by U.S. consumer jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, gas, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America’s households. Inflation has spiked during the

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s fragile governing coalition has moved to resolve a crisis over tree-planting on disputed land in the Negev desert. Bedouin residents on Tuesday protested the planting by a quasi-governmental organization. Some protesters hurled stones at vehicles on a highway near Beersheba, blocked the railway line and torched a vehicle. Police said two

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ health minister says the nation is changing its compulsory quarantine rules for school children in an effort to keep pupils in school amid surging coronavirus infections. Under the new system, schoolkids who were in close contact with classmates who test positive will no longer face compulsory quarantine. Instead, they must