AP National News

By JILL COLVIN Associated Press A book by Donald Trump’s ex-chief of staff says Trump tested positive for COVID-19 three days before his first debate in September 2020 with Joe Biden. Mark Meadows writes that the then-president received a negative test shortly after the positive test and resumed his usual activities, including attending the debate.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. defense chiefs are meeting for their annual talks, as Washington pushes to reinforce alliances with its partners to curb mounting challenges from China and increasing North Korean nuclear threats. Thursday’s meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his South

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses held a “family” celebration of Hanukkah at the White House Wednesday, with the first Jewish spouse of a vice president, Doug Emhoff, joining in lighting the menorah. The gathering included more than 150 guests, including Jewish community leaders, Cabinet members, lawmakers and

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Police were looking for a man dubbed the “snake burglar” who wriggled his way through a Southern California business and fled with several thousands dollars. KNBC-TV says surveillance video shows the man slithering on his belly at the Rustic Roots salon in Riverside last Friday, possibly to avoid a motion sensor.

By AUDREY McAVOY Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — The state of Hawaii says a laboratory has detected petroleum product in a water sample from an elementary school near Pearl Harbor. The news comes amid heightened concerns that fuel from a massive Navy storage facility may contaminate Oahu’s water supply. The department says the test result

By JOE McDONALD, SAM McNEIL and ELAINE KURTENBACH Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — Laos, an isolated, mountainous nation of 7 million people wedged between China, Vietnam and Thailand, is opening a $5.9 billion railway its leaders hope will energize its economy, but it may pile on dangerously high debt. The 1,035-kilometer (642-mile) line to China’s

By AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has unveiled his new HIV/AIDS strategy to end the more than 40-year-old epidemic, calling for a renewed focus on vulnerable Americans. The new strategy asserts that gay and bisexual Black and Latino men are too often stigmatized even as they are disproportionately affected by

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses marked a “family” celebration of Hanukkah at the White House Wednesday, with the first second gentleman and Jewish spouse of a vice president, Doug Emhoff, joining in lighting the menorah. Speaking to more than 150 invited guests, including Jewish community leaders, Cabinet

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawyer for the state of California defended the constitutionality of the nation’s first law requiring women on corporate boards as necessary to reverse a culture of discrimination that favors men. In opening statements Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, a deputy attorney general said the

By DAVID EGGERT Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan prosecutors are charging a teen with terrorism in a deadly mass shooting at his high school, a novel approach made possible by a law enacted after the 9/11 attacks nearly 20 years ago. The state’s 2002 anti-terrorism law defines a terroristic act as one intended

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has heard arguments in which the court was asked to overturn a nationwide right to abortion that has existed for nearly 50 years. The fate of the court’s historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion throughout the United States and its 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey,

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The man accused of driving his SUV through a suburban Milwaukee parade, killing six people and injuring dozens, says he feels like he’s being “demonized.” Darrell Brooks didn’t discuss a motive during his interview from jail with Fox News. But he told the outlet Wednesday that he feels like he’s being

By PATTY NIEBERG Associated Press/Report for America DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s health department says emergency workers should not use a condition involving erratic behavior as a reason to inject people with the drug ketamine. Most states and ambulance agencies can use ketamine when people exhibit the condition called excited delirium. It’s a type of agitation

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection has voted to pursue contempt charges against Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department official who refused to answer the committee’s questions. The committee, however, has agreed to let Clark come back for another try. The chairman

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Members of the United Auto Workers union appear to be in favor of picking their leaders in direct elections. With 72% of the ballots counted, nearly 63% favor direct elections. About 37% want to keep the current system of delegates selecting the union’s leadership. A federal

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Hundreds of people in the central Montana town of Denton have been forced to flee flames pushed by strong winds. Officials said that fire started Tuesday evening and led to an evacuation order for the town of about 300 early Wednesday afternoon, including the school. A fire near Great Falls

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans woman who played a supporting role as a former child actress in the Oscar-nominated film “Beasts of the Southern Wild” was killed in a weekend shooting in her native Louisiana. Police said Jonshel Alexander and a man were shot in a vehicle Saturday night in New Orleans. Alexander

NOVI, Mich. (AP) — No criminal charges will be filed in the fireworks-related death of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks at a Detroit-area home during a July 4 celebration. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday the death has officially been ruled accidental, and the case is now closed. The accident occurred Sunday, July

By DAVID EGGERT Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan prosecutors are charging a teen with terrorism in a deadly mass shooting at his high school, a novel approach made possible by a law enacted after the 9/11 attacks nearly 20 years ago. The state’s 2002 anti-terrorism law defines a terroristic act as one intended