News

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks rose in midday trading on Wall Street Wednesday and health care companies were leading the way for the second day in a row. The S&P 500 was up 0.3%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%. Abbott Laboratories, Biogen and Anthem

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Romania Wednesday as part of a three-country tour to reassure Black Sea allies on security issues amid ongoing tensions with Russia.. He met Romanian officials Wednesday and visited an eastern airbase. “The security and stability of the Black Sea are in the U.S.’s national

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Amherst College says it will no longer give admissions preference to the children of alumni. The liberal arts college announced Wednesday that it’s dropping legacy admissions to create a fairer admissions system and to promote diversity on campus. Amherst President Biddy Martin said the shift will make the school accessible to

By MATTHEW PERRONE and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators expect to rule Wednesday on authorizing booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. That’s according to a Food and Drug Administration official at a government meeting. The decision is expected to include allowing the mixing and matching of

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV Associated Press MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has ordered many of Russia’s workers to stay off work for a week starting later this month amid rising coronavirus infection and death numbers. Putin has also strongly urged reluctant citizens to get vaccinated. The government task force on Wednesday reported 1,028 coronavirus deaths

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A $650 million plan would give the Los Angeles Zoo a theme park-style transformation over the next 20 years. The Los Angeles Times says the city-owned zoo would get exhibit upgrades and new attractions including a 60-foot-deep canyon for rock climbing and a hilltop feature in the style of a Yosemite

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Biden administration has dealt a serious blow to the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northeastern Minnesota. The government ordered a study Wednesday that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the wilderness. The

By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — As he brings “American Utopia” back to Broadway following the pandemic pause, David Byrne says it’s evident how thrilled people are simply to be enjoying live entertainment again. He’s also noticed that his audience seems a little younger and more diverse than before shutdown. He

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report that she heard a possible rape happening behind her home will be sentenced on a lesser charge. Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the July 2017

By DAVID PITT Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state audit has found that Iowa’s privatized Medicaid system has illegally denied services or care to program recipients, and both private insurance companies managing the system have violated terms of their contracts with the state. Auditor Rob Sand on Wednesday released the report from