AP National News

By ED WHITE Associated Press More U.S. states desperate to defend against COVID-19 are calling on the National Guard and other military personnel to assist. Staff at hospitals and other care centers are being worn down by a rise in virus cases that began before Thanksgiving, especially in some Northeast and Upper Midwest states. Meanwhile,

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection is subpoenaing six more people who the panel says were involved in the organization and planning of rallies that aimed to overturn Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election. The committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, says

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian authorities say a man was shot and killed by Israeli fire during clashes in the occupied West Bank. They say the 31-year-old Palestinian suffered a gunshot wound to the head during clashes with Israeli forces in the northern West Bank town of Beita on Friday. The Palestinian Red Crescent

By ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Pop superstar Alicia Keys has debuted her new album live in front of a packed crowd at the world’s fair in Dubai — a lively performance full of soaring vocals and piano solos. The 40-year-old Keys sauntered onstage on Friday in a glittery gold

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) — A company that turned mining waste into roofing materials in Montana was fined and ordered to conduct medical monitoring after pleading guilty to exposing its employees to arsenic. Tinley Park, Illinois-based U.S. Minerals was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay a $393,200 fine during a Friday hearing before

DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Investigators in Southern California are investigating a fatal crash in which a car rear-ended a school bus and then plowed into a group of walking children, killing a 9-year-old girl and injuring two other kids. A white Cadillac struck the bus Thursday afternoon in the Riverside County town of

By BERENICE BAUTISTA Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican actress Carmen Salinas, known for movies like “Danzón”, “Man on Fire” and “Bellas de Noche” and telenovelas and series including “María la del Barrio” and “Mujeres Asesinas”, has died. She was 82. Relatives of the actress announced her death Thursday night on Salinas’ Twitter account.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of an assistant to U.S. President Joe Biden as the next head of the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF. Catherine Russell also heads the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and served as the State Department’s ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues from 2013-2017. She

By JOHN ROGERS and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Nesmith, the wool-hatted, guitar-strumming member of the 1960s, made-for-television rock band The Monkees, has died at 78. His family says Nesmith died Friday of natural causes. Nesmith was a struggling singer-songwriter in 1966 when he saw a trade-publication ad seeking “four insane

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. budget deficit totaled $356.4 billion in the first two months of the budget year. That was down 17% from the same period a year ago due to a sharp jump in government revenues that offset a smaller increase in spending. In its monthly budget

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A court appearance is set for next week for a man accused of driving a limousine onto aircraft ramps at Las Vegas’ international airport, donning a clown mask and declaring he had a bomb before surrendering to authorities. No injuries were reported after Matthew Ray Hancock was arrested Wednesday near private

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorney General Herbert Slatery says he wouldn’t appeal the resentencing of a Tennessee death row inmate to life in prison after initially resisting the move just two years prior. Last month, a trial court judge resentenced Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman to three consecutive life sentences. Now that Slatery

By BEN FOX Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. issued financial sanctions and visa bans on former and current government officials and entities in nine countries Friday — including China, Myanmar and Russia — as part of coordinated actions with Canada and the U.K. to coincide with International Human Rights Day. Canada and the

HONOLULU (AP) — A U.S. senator is calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to take the lead in testing to determine whether it’s safe to drink water that the Navy provides to and around Pearl Harbor. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz says the EPA should step in after the Navy disputed the Hawaii Department of Health’s

DENVER (AP) — A federal panel has approved naming a Colorado peak after a Cheyenne woman who facilitated relations between white settlers and Native American tribes in the early 1800s. Mestaa’ėhehe Mountain, which is pronounced “mess-taw-HAY,” honors the influential translator. The renaming of what was known as Squaw Mountain west of Denver comes after U.S.

By SARA BURNETT Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — The jury’s guilty verdict that Jussie Smollett faked a racist and homophobic attack isn’t the end of legal proceedings for the former “Empire” actor or others. Several lawsuits have been on hold pending the outcome of the criminal charges. A jury on Thursday convicted Smollett on five

By ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A new government report showing inflation rising at the fastest rate in nearly four decades is raising fresh questions about the fate of President Joe Biden’s social and environment legislation. Both sides are seeking clues on how the numbers may influence pivotal Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. The

By SYLVIE CORBET and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press PARIS (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris as their governments work to de-escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine. The leaders held a joint news conference on Friday during Scholz’s first trip abroad following his coalition government’s swearing-in on

By PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has banned most abortions since early September under a law that has created the biggest curb to abortion in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday again allowed the law to remain in a place in a ruling that

LONDON (AP) — The UK Health Security Agency says the omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly throughout Britain and is likely to become the dominant form of the disease across the country by the middle of this month. The agency says in a technical briefing that omicron is more easily transmissible than other variants.