AP National News

AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose this week, pushing up borrowing costs on a home loan for the first time since late May. The rate rose to 6.95% from 6.86% last week. That’s according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac on Wednesday. A year ago, the rate

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Travel activity is expected to heat up to record levels around the Independence Day holiday as consumers take advantage of cooler prices for airfares, gasoline and hotels. AAA expects a record number of people to hit roads and airports during the week between Saturday June 29 and Sunday,

AP Business Writer Do Americans want plant-based options at fast-food restaurants? Two recent moves show restaurant chains are still undecided. On Wednesday, Panda Express reintroduced plant-based chicken, which it developed with El Segundo, California-based Beyond Meat. Beyond Orange Chicken will be available at hundreds of U.S. stores for a limited time. Panda Express says it’s

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s governing center-right party has booted out a lawmaker and former minister who allegedly manhandled an airport worker in a failed bid to board a domestic flight he’d turned up late for. Lefteris Avgenakis, who has held the sports and agriculture portfolios, apologised over the incident earlier this month at Athens

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — France’s renowned Nazi hunter Serge Klarsfeld is advising voters in Sunday’s parliamentary elections that if they’re faced with a duel between Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and a far-left competitor, they should choose the far right. Klarsfeld is an 88-year-old Jewish historian who has dedicated his life to bringing

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Polish man has been charged with assaulting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last month, his lawyer said. A 39-year-old man walked up to Frederiksen in a downtown Copenhagen square on June 7 and punched her on her right upper arm. The prime minister suffered minor whiplash but was otherwise unharmed.

MAUSTON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities and churches have identified the six family members who died in a Wisconsin house fire. The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday that 66-year-old Steven Witte, 38-year-old Charis Kuehl and 35-year-old Lydia Witte were killed in the fire early Sunday in Necedah. Three children, ages 2,

NEW YORK (AP) — In a story published June 17, 2024, about a judge ruling that a federal agency can’t enforce an abortion rule in Louisiana and Mississippi, The Associated Press erroneously described Mississippi’s abortion law. Mississippi has a near total ban on abortion, not a ban after 15 weeks.

Associated Press Those miniature bikes with no pedals seem to be everywhere these days, and the kids riding them are getting younger and younger. So it begs the question, at what age should children learn to ride a bike? Experts recommend starting with those so-called balance bikes at a younger-than-expected age, possibly even less than

KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — Police say a former senator in Pakistan has been killed when a vehicle carrying him and supporters struck a roadside bomb in a former stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border. Two other people were killed. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Pakistani Taliban in

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights chief has warned about rising hatred and discrimination around the world in a “mega-year for elections.” He has called on voters to put rights of others in mind when they cast their ballots. Volker Türk made the call with major elections looming in places like France and Britain

Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Compared with its economic peers, the United States lacks social safety net programs like sick time, vacation time and health care. For decades, American women have filled the gaps, to the detriment of both themselves and their families, according to sociologist Jessica Calarco, who studies inequalities in family life and

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s Parliament has voted down a minority government proposed by the center-right GERB party, which likely will bring the country closer to new elections. The move Wednesday comes after six elections in three years that resulted in shaky coalitions. Lawmakers voted 138-98 to reject the proposal designed to make Rosen Zhelyazkov,

Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. intellectual property agency says China has requested far more patents than any other country when it comes to generative AI, with the United States a distant second. The technology offers the potential to boost efficiency and speed up scientific discoveries, but it also raises concerns about jobs and