News

By GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Volunteers are scrambling to hand out water to homeless people in isolated encampments in Portland, Oregon, as the Pacific Northwest sweats through a heat wave that is gripping the normally temperate region. Authorities trying to provide relief to vulnerable people are mindful of a record-shattering heat

By MATTHEW BROWN and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LAME DEER, Mont. (AP) — Wildfires tearing through eastern Montana and elsewhere in the U.S. West are devouring vast areas of rangeland that ranchers depend upon. That’s setting the stage for a potential shortage of pastureland and forage for cattle as the hot, dry summer grinds on.

By ALI SWENSON Associated Press Medical experts say there’s no evidence that any vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines, influence your chances of getting pregnant. That’s despite a myth suggesting otherwise. Experts say there’s no biological reason the shots would affect fertility. And real-world evidence offers more assurance for anyone worried about their chances of conceiving. In

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Republicans are battling school districts in their own states’ urban, heavily Democratic areas over whether students should be required to mask up as they head back to school. That is reigniting ideological divides over face coverings even as the latest coronavirus surge ravages the reddest, most

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (AP) — The Colorado River has been a go-to source of water for cities, tribes and farmers in the U.S. West for decades. But climate change, drought and increased demand are taking a toll. Next week, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is expected to declare the first-ever

By DAVID A. LIEB and ACACIA CORONADO Associated Press The once-a-decade battle over redistricting is set to be a showdown over the suburbs, as new census data showed rapid growth around some of the nation’s largest cities and shrinking population in many rural counties. From Texas to Florida, some of the biggest gains reported Thursday

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — The government of Venezuela and its opposition are scheduled to begin a new dialogue this week, marking the third effort in four years. Mexico will host the round of discussions starting Friday. The discussions this time are surrounded by very low expectations from analysts and even

By TAMEEM AKHGAR, RAHIM FAIEZ and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban have captured two major Afghan cities, the country’s second- and third-largest after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital. The developments on Thursday further squeeze the embattled government just weeks before the end of the American military mission. The seizure

By YURI KAGEYAMA AP Business Writer Asian shares are mixed as caution set in among investors following another wobbly day of trading on Wall Street. Japan’s benchmark rose, but shares fell in China, and were little changed in South Korea and Australia. Worries remain in the region about the regulatory crackdown in China, as well

By JOE McDONALD and NG HAN GUAN Associated Press DANDONG, China (AP) — A Chinese court has sentenced a Canadian entrepreneur to 11 years in prison in a spying case that has been linked to Beijing’s pressure campaign against Canada’s government. The sentencing of Michael Spavor Wednesday prompted an unusual joint show of support for

By NICK PERRY Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand plans to begin a cautious reopening of its borders to international travelers early next year. Government officials also said Thursday they would delay second shots of the Pfizer vaccine in order to speed up first shots and protect more people as the threat

By GARY FIELDS and MICHAEL BALSAMO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has cleared the way for a defamation case by Dominion Voting Systems to proceed against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, allies of former President Donald Trump who had all falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 presidential election.