News - Friday, February 28, 2025

He’s a greedy strip mall developer from the big city. She’s the girl next door who refuses to sell her late grandmother’s book store on the town square. Somehow, they overcome their differences and fall in love.

It sounds nice. But even dewy-eyed Hallmark Channel devotees would concede that it bears no resemblance to an actual romance. Real life doesn’t follow the dictates of formula storytelling.

Attorney Anna Mills has joined the law firm of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan as a Tennessee and Georgia licensed associate attorney.

Mills is an associate in the firm’s Chattanooga office whose practice areas are primarily general liability, juvenile law, wills and trusts and workers’ compensation law.

The ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service has honored Chattanooga attorney Richard Gossett for his dedication to pro bono service through participation in ABA Free Legal Answers.

The committee presents this annual recognition to individual attorneys, law firms, corporate law departments and other organizations that have provided what it deems “extraordinary” pro bono service through the virtual legal advice portal.

As Realtors, we understand that strong communities start with strong policies. That’s why nearly 40 Greater Chattanooga Realtors joined over 400 Realtors from across Tennessee in Nashville Feb. 12 for Realtor Day on the Hill. This annual event provides a powerful platform for meeting with state legislators and advocating for homeownership, private property rights and a strong real estate market.

In the film “Amadeus,” Italian composer Antonio Salieri describes how he could hear an oboe play a single, sustained note above an underpinning of bassoons and basset horns as he read the score for a Mozart serenade. After the note hovered for a few moments, Salieri says, a clarinet took it over and sweetened it into a melodic phrase “of such delight.”

River City Company is inviting developers nationwide to share their ideas for the redevelopment of Hawk Hill, the home of AT&T Field and the Chattanooga Lookouts.

The request for information and interest calls for developers to help Chattanooga plan for the future of Hawk Hill and adjacent parking lots once the Lookouts vacate AT&T Field in 2026.

With spring training baseball in full swing, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library’s Special Collections has published a new digital collection documenting the early history of the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team.

Tennessee has moved toward greater reliance on nuclear power to meet both energy and economic development goals, and Gov. Bill Lee is asking state lawmakers to play a supporting role.

About 48% of Tennessee’s electricity came from nuclear plants in 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. In 2010, nuclear’s share was about one-third, EIA reported. Over the years, coal has contributed a smaller share of the state’s electricity, opening the door for more nuclear-fueled electricity.

Join The Chattery for an evening of shopping at local Black-owned businesses. The event begins Friday at 6 p.m. at the organization’s temporary space at 231 Broad St. Founded in 2014, The Chattery offers affordable classes to the Chattanooga community. Information

Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement Mark Hooper has retired after 40 years of service with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

Promoted to deputy chief in 2024, Hooper has been responsible for overseeing the daily operation of Uniformed Services, Investigative Services, Judicial Security Operations, Special Operations and the School Resource Deputy Unit.

Once you and your spouse retire, you’ll have some decisions to make – decisions that could affect your quality of life in your retirement years. What are these choices?

Here a few of the most important ones:

• How much should you withdraw from your retirement accounts?

The Tennessee Conservative, an outfit that bills itself as a “news alternative,” really, really hates illegal immigrants and doesn’t think this state does nearly enough to stop them from settling here.

“Illegal aliens,” TTC calls them, “alien” being a term that conjures images of space creatures rather than of fellow human beings. Believe me, this is not by chance.

Ready to buy a new car? Well, you might want to wait because there are some cool and compelling models coming soon to a showroom near you. They range from a retro-themed performance sedan with a traditional gasoline engine to a rugged off-road SUV powered by electricity.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative political commentators were spotted at the White House Thursday holding binders that read "The Epstein Files" hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi promised the release of documents about wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused underage girls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump's administration looks to reverse a cornerstone finding that climate change endangers human health and welfare, scientists say they just need to look around because it's obvious how bad global warming is and how it's getting worse.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The military services have 30 days to figure out how they will seek out and identify transgender service members to remove them from the force — a daunting task that may end up relying on troops self-reporting or tattling on their colleagues.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday, in addition to doubling the 10% universal tariff charged on imports from China.

In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump said illicit drugs such as fentanyl are being smuggled into the United States at "unacceptable levels" and that import taxes would force other countries to crack down on the trafficking.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday pushed back hard against allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump that the 27-nation bloc was out to get the United States, and warned that it would vigorously fight any wholesale tariff of 25% on all EU products.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau has dropped several enforcement actions against companies like Capital One and Rocket Homes, just weeks under new leadership and turmoil at the agency caused by orders from Trump administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Social Security Administration is preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people from its workforce of 60,000, according to a person familiar with the agency's plans who is not authorized to speak publicly. The workforce reduction, according to a second person who also spoke on condition of anonymity, could be as high as 50%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Civilian federal jobs are being cut by the thousands, as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency continues to shrink the government workforce at the behest of President Donald Trump.

That's brought a lot of churn and uncertainty in the nation's capital, where 20% of the country's more than 2 million civilian — or nonmilitary — federal workers are located.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is confident that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will "keep his word" if an agreement is reached to end Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said going through the "Russia hoax" ordeal gives him confidence that he can trust Putin in talks about the war in Ukraine that the Kremlin launched three year ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday applauded President Donald Trump's push to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine but said that "it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor."

"History must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," Starmer said at a news conference with Trump at the White House after the leaders held talks about the three-year war in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Agency for International Development workers — many in tears — carted away belongings through cheering crowds in a final visit to their now-closed headquarters Thursday as the Trump administration's rapid dismantling of the congressionally authorized agency moved into its final stages.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Juuse Saros made 23 saves and the Nashville Predators ended NHL-leading Winnipeg's franchise-record winning streak at 11 games, beating the weary Jets 2-1 on Thursday night.

Filip Forsberg and Tommy Novak scored to help Nashville snap a two-game losing streak.

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A stretch of Interstate 40 through the western North Carolina mountains is reopening to traffic this weekend, months after Hurricane Helene's historic flooding collapsed portions of the road, partially restoring the major travel connection with eastern Tennessee.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday released government documents related to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein, but the first wave of files posted on the Justice Department website have largely been circulating in the public domain for years and didn't include any new bombshells about the sex trafficking case that has been a favorite subject of conspiracy theorists.

DALLAS (AP) — The number of people with measles in Texas increased to 146 in an outbreak that led this week to the death of an unvaccinated school-aged child, health officials said Friday.

The number of cases — Texas' largest in nearly 30 years — increased by 22 since Tuesday. The Texas Department of State Health Services said cases span over nine counties in West Texas, including almost 100 in Gaines County, and 20 patients have been hospitalized so far.

WASHINGTON (AP) — This year's harsh flu season – the most intense in 15 years – has federal health officials trying to understand if it sparked an increase in a rare but life-threatening brain complication in children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 19,000 people have died from the flu so far this winter, including 86 children. Thursday, the CDC reported at least nine of those children experienced brain complications, and it has asked state health departments to help investigate if there are more such cases.

NEW YORK (AP) — For years, Ed Yaker, treasurer of a New York City co-op with nearly 1,500 units, and fellow board members have dealt with gas leaks. It can mean the gas at an entire building is shut off, leaving residents unable to use a stove for months until expensive repairs are made to gas lines.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Egg producers blame the bird flu outbreak for driving prices to record highs, but critics believe giant companies are taking advantage of their market dominance to profit handsomely at the expense of budget-conscious egg buyers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Ries has lived in Florida only three years, but everyone told him last summer was unusually hot. That was followed by three hurricanes in close succession. Then temperatures dropped below freezing for days this winter, and snow blanketed part of the state.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of weather forecasters and other federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees on probationary status were fired Thursday, lawmakers and weather experts said.

Federal workers who were not let go said the afternoon layoffs included meteorologists who do crucial local forecasts in National Weather Service offices across the country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a comment by President Donald Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency does not plan to reduce its staff by 65%, the White House and the agency said Thursday, though major budget cuts are likely.

A White House spokeswoman said the 65% figure referred to expected spending cuts at the agency, rather than staffing levels, a comment that was amplified by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled Congress has voted to repeal a federal fee on oil and gas producers who release high levels of methane, undoing a major piece of former President Joe Biden's climate policy aimed at controlling the planet-warming "super pollutant." The fee, which had not gone into effect, was expected to bring in billions of dollars.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers cut back sharply on spending last month, the most since February 2021, even as inflation declined, though stiff tariffs threatened by the White House could disrupt that progress.

Americans cut their spending by 0.2% in January from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Friday, likely in part because of unseasonably cold weather. Yet the retreat may be hinting at more caution by consumers amid rising economic uncertainty.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ongoing tariff threats from Washington and potentially sweeping government job cuts have darkened consumers' mood and may be weighing on an otherwise mostly healthy economy.

Data released Friday showed that consumers slashed their spending by the most since February 2021, even as their incomes rose. On a positive note, inflation cooled, but President Donald Trump's threats to impose large import taxes on Canada, Mexico, and China -- the United States' top trading partners -- will likely push prices higher, economists say. Some companies are already planning to raise prices in response.

GUISSONA, Spain (AP) — Inside a cavernous production plant in Spain, people from 62 nationalities work side by side to keep a food company humming as millions of legs of ham travel on hooks along conveyor belts.

Foreign workers have helped to make Spain's economy the envy of the industrialized world, even as anti-immigration sentiments grow elsewhere in Europe and in the United States.

NEW DELHI (AP) — India and the European Union have agreed to finalize a long-pending free trade agreement this year and boost cooperation in trade, technology, connectivity and defense, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the European Commission chief said Friday.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking a step toward granting the U.S. mining industry's biggest wishes by singling out one metal as a focus of his domestic minerals policy: copper.

From talk of acquiring Greenland and its vast mineral wealth to prodding Ukraine for minerals in exchange for help fending off Russia's invasion, Trump has made the raw materials of modern life a pillar of his foreign policy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting with President Donald Trump on Friday at a pivotal moment for his country, as he tries to persuade the White House to provide some form of U.S. backing for Ukraine's security against any future Russian aggression.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prime Minister Keir Starmer wore a broad smile aboard the plane home from Washington. He landed back in Britain on Friday with the satisfaction of a tricky mission not quite accomplished, but off to a flying start.

Starmer's goals for his trip were to persuade President Donald Trump to provide Ukraine with security guarantees in any peace deal and head off duties on British goods while pursuing a rapport with an unpredictable U.S. leader who is the center-left prime minister's opposite in temperament and political outlook.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Five former secretaries of defense are calling on Congress to hold immediate hearings on President Donald Trump's recent firings of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other senior military leaders, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's executive order was clear: The Gulf of Mexico was out after hundreds of years. The Gulf of America was its name now.

But The Associated Press decided to keep the original name for its style and also note that Trump changed it. Trump limited the global news outlet's access to some presidential events. The AP sued.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — Microsoft is closing down Skype, the video-calling service it bought for $8.5 billion in 2011.

The tech giant said Friday it will retire Skype in May and shift some of its services to Microsoft Teams, its flagship videoconferencing platform. Skype users will be able to use their existing accounts to log into Teams.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being "disrespectful" Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Key Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been stalwart supporters of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but the blowup between the Ukrainian leader and President Donald Trump is threatening to change that.

Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington to sign a deal that would give the U.S. access to its mineral riches as Trump attempts to pressure Ukraine into a deal to end the war with Russia. Although support for Ukraine has waned among GOP congressional members in the three years since Russia invaded, key Republicans hoped the deal would revive American support for Kyiv.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As House members finished voting for the week and left Washington, the lead Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, voiced frustration that Republicans had yet to respond to her latest offer on a full-year spending bill, even though it had been made five days earlier.

NEW YORK (AP) — Artemi Panarin, J.T. Miller, K'Andre Miller and Brett Berard scored and Jonathan Quick made 35 saves as the New York Rangers defeated the Nashville Predators 4-0 on Sunday night.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Mia Woolfolk scored 20 points, De'Mauri Flournoy had 18 points and Georgia defeated No. 11 Tennessee 72-69 on Sunday.

A 3-pointer and a layup by Samara Spencer helped Tennessee take a 60-57 lead inside of five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Vols went cold and didn't make a field goal in the next 3 1/2 minutes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won't hear a challenge from conservative college students who say their freedom of speech is violated by a university program for reporting allegations of bias.

Two of the nine justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, publicly said they would have heard the case.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday left in place a Utah state court decision that overturned the death sentence for a man convicted of murdering a woman to stop her from testifying against him in a rape case.

The justices did not comment in rejecting the state's appeal in the case of Douglas Lovell. The Utah Supreme Court upheld Lovell's murder conviction for killing Joyce Yost in 1985 but threw out the sentence.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Every time a baby is born in Louisiana, where Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson handily won reelection last year, there's more than a 60% chance taxpayers will finance the birth through Medicaid.

NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk's car company is required each year to report to investors all the bad things that could happen to it, and the latest version lists every imaginable threat from costly lawsuits to out-of-control battery fires to war and another epidemic.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sunday night marked Hulu's first time airing the Oscars live. But its academy awards debut ended on a chaotic and frustratingly premature note.

Hulu's livestream cut off in the final moments of the show — with two major award categories, best actress and best picture, still to be announced because of a scheduling system issue. Those viewing the awards ceremony on Hulu instead saw an error code message that stated the event was over.

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.'s data protection watchdog said Monday that it's investigating how TikTok uses the personal information of teenagers to deliver content recommendations to them when they use the social media platform.

The Information Commissioner's Office said that there are growing concerns around how social media platforms were using data generated by children's online activity to power their recommendation algorithms, and the potential for young people to see inappropriate or harmful content as a result.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her administration is waiting to see if U.S. President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican imports.

Her Cabinet secretaries for security and trade among others have been in constant communication with their U.S. counterparts and she said there was still the possibility she and Trump would speak Monday.

BANGKOK (AP) — Chinese manufacturers reported an uptick in orders in February as importers rushed to beat higher U.S. tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, as a Chinese state media report said that Beijing was considering ways to retaliate.

Trump earlier imposed a tariff of 10% on imports from China and that will rise to 20% beginning Tuesday. He also ended the "de minimis" loophole that exempted imports worth less than $800 from tariffs, in a blow to companies whose online sales direct to consumers had soared in recent years.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation in Europe eased to an annual 2.4% in February, supporting the case for another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank - but leaving open how far the central bank will go in lowering borrowing costs for an economy that's still struggling to show robust growth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department announced it will not enforce a Biden-era small business rule intended to curb money laundering and shell company formation.

In a Sunday evening announcement, Treasury said in a news release that it will not impose penalties now or in the future if companies fail to register for the agency's beneficial ownership information database that was created during the Biden administration.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia "is still very, very far away," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, adding that he expects to keep receiving American support despite his recent fraught relations with U.S. President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday for suggesting that end of Russia's war against Ukraine is still likely "very, very far away."

"This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is voting Monday on whether to confirm former wrestling executive Linda McMahon as the nation's education chief, a role that would place her atop a department that President Donald Trump has vilified and vowed to dismantle.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump arrives this week on Capitol Hill to deliver a speech to Congress, a coequal branch of government he has bulldozed past this first month in office, wielding unimaginable executive power to get what he wants, at home and abroad.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Judging by his past speeches to Congress, President Donald Trump once felt the need to ask lawmakers to pass his agenda. Not so much anymore.

Trump, who is addressing Congress on Tuesday night, has asserted his authority to reshape the federal government without needing to consult the legislative branch. That's a break from his previous remarks to Congress in which he specifically sought lawmakers' backing on many of the actions he's now taking unilaterally.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday night will deliver the first joint congressional address of his second presidency.

It's not officially called the State of the Union, a title reserved for a president's annual address to Congress during other years of an administration. But it is an opportunity for Trump to lay out his priorities for the year.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has promoted Steve Gregory to defensive coordinator and Nick Lezynski to co-defensive coordinator, the school announced Monday.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Alberto Osuna's bid to play baseball for defending College World Series champion Tennessee received a setback Monday when a federal judge denied his bid for a preliminary injunction.

Osuna sued the NCAA last month while making the case that a year he spent at Walters State Community College shouldn't count against his eligibility.

If there were any concerns about Tennessee dropping off after it won the national championship, those have been allayed so far thanks to the performances of the team's newcomers.

The Volunteers (11-0) came out of their most challenging weekend to date with three wins in the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston, and the numbers they're putting up so far have exceeded those at this point in 2024.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sunday night marked Hulu's first time airing the Oscars live. But its academy awards debut ended on a chaotic and frustratingly premature note.

Hulu's livestream cut off in the final moments of the show — with two major award categories, best actress and best picture, still to be announced because of a scheduling system issue. Those viewing the awards ceremony on Hulu instead saw an error code message that stated the event was over.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that 25% taxes on imports from Mexico and Canada would start Tuesday, sparking renewed fears of a North American trade war that already showed signs of pushing up inflation and hindering growth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump started the biggest trade war since the 1930s in his first term, his impulsive combination of threats and import taxes on U.S. trading partners created chaos, generated drama -- and drew criticism from mainstream economists who favor free trade.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her administration was waiting to see if U.S. President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican imports.

Her Cabinet secretaries for security and trade among others have been in constant communication with their U.S. counterparts and she said there was still the possibility she and Trump would speak Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plans to invest $100 billion in the United States, President Donald Trump said Monday, on top of $65 billion in investments the company had previously announced.

TSMC, the world's biggest semiconductor manufacturer, produces chips for companies including Apple, Intel and Nvidia. The company had already begun constructing three plants in Arizona after the Biden administration offered billions in subsidies. Its first factory in Arizona has started mass production of its 4-nanometer chips.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As his White House meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart devolved into a stunning blowup, President Donald Trump leaned on a familiar refrain to explain his unique kinship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," Trump said Friday, raising his voice and gesturing with his hands as he recounted the long-since-concluded saga of a federal investigation in which both he and the Russian president played starring roles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal employees face a midnight deadline to comply with Elon Musk 's second demand for reports on their recent accomplishments, a request that has become a flashpoint within the government workforce.

Musk and President Donald Trump have suggested that employees who don't comply could get fired. They've also described the requirement — a list of five things that each person did last week — as an unobjectionable way to increase accountability within a sprawling bureaucracy.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Dawn Staley has won eight Southeastern Conference Tournaments since taking over as head coach at South Carolina in 2008.

She sees winning a ninth as the biggest challenge yet.

To say the SEC is loaded is an understatement. The conference boasts five teams in the top 12 of the most recent AP poll, including No. 1 Texas, No. 5 South Carolina, No. 9 LSU, No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 12 Kentucky. In all, seven teams are ranked in the Top 25, and that doesn't include 17-time tournament champion Tennessee.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are in the midst of a major rebuilding project with their roster.

They can only hope their progress goes as well as the construction of their new enclosed stadium.

The Titans currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft April 24 after going 3-14 in 2024 — their third straight losing season. They ended the season losing their final six games.

Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's devoted husband of nearly 60 years who avoided the spotlight and inspired her timeless hit "Jolene," died Monday. He was 82.

According to a statement provided to The Associated Press by Parton's publicist, Dean died in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday made it harder for environmental regulators to limit water pollution, ruling for San Francisco in a case about the discharge of raw sewage that sometimes occurs during heavy rains.

By a 5-4 vote, the court's conservative majority ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act with water pollution permits that contain vague requirements for maintaining water quality.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a $10 billion lawsuit Mexico filed against top firearm manufacturers in the U.S., alleging their business practices have fueled cartel gun violence.

The gun makers reject those claims. They appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that let the lawsuit move forward even though U.S. law largely shields gun makers from lawsuits.

For the second year in a row, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the most to charitable causes, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy's exclusive Philanthropy 50 list of the Americans who donated the largest sums to nonprofits last year.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil giant Aramco reported a $106.25 billion profit in 2024 on Tuesday, down 12% from the prior year as lower energy prices now squeeze the kingdom's multi-trillion-dollar development plans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Marty Makary rose to national attention by skewering the medical establishment in books and papers and bashing the federal response to COVID-19 on TV.

Now the Johns Hopkins University surgeon and researcher has been nominated to lead the Food and Drug Administration. The agency — responsible for regulating products ranging from toothpaste to vaccines — is famously understated, issuing carefully worded statements devoid of opinion or scientific speculation.

The Associated Press is asking a federal judge for a second time to immediately restore its access to presidential events, arguing that the Trump White House has doubled down on retaliating against the news outlet for its refusal to follow the president's executive order that renamed the Gulf of Mexico.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America's three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that Mexico will respond to 25% tariffs imposed by the United States with its own retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods.

Sheinbaum said she will announce the products Mexico will target on Sunday in a public event in Mexico City's central plaza, perhaps indicating Mexico still hopes to de-escalate the trade war set off by U.S. President Donald Trump.

BEIJING (AP) — China responded to new U.S. tariffs by announcing Tuesday it will impose additional tariffs of up to 15% on imports of key U.S. farm products, including chicken, pork, soy and beef, and expanded controls on doing business with key U.S. companies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tariffs are in the news at the moment. Here's what they are and what you need to know about them:

Tariffs are a tax on imports

Tariffs are typically charged as a percentage of the price a buyer pays a foreign seller. In the United States, tariffs are collected by Customs and Border Protection agents at 328 ports of entry across the country.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks tumbled on Wall Street Tuesday as a trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains for the S&P 500 since Election Day.

The tariffs between the U.S., China, Canada, and Mexico helped extend a recent slump for U.S. stocks that was prompted by signs of weakness in the economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales and profits slipped for Target during the crucial holiday quarter as customers held back on spending and the company said there will be "meaningful pressure" on its profits to start the year because of tariffs and other costs.

ROME (AP) — The Prada Group on Tuesday posted double-digit growth for the fourth consecutive year, bucking the luxury sector slide amid talk of a possible Versace acquisition.

The group, which owns the Prada and Miu Miu fashion brands along with Church's footwear, reported a 17% boost in revenues to 5.4 billion euros ($5.7 billion) last year from 4.7 billion euros in 2023. Retail sales rose 18% to 4.6 billion euros in the period.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic lawmakers demanded answers from billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency on Thursday as concerns about who has access to America's most sensitive information continue to dog Trump administration efforts to reshape the federal government.

LONDON (AP) — The U.S. has been Ukraine's biggest military backer since Russia's full-scale invasion began three years ago. The suspension of that aid by the Trump administration doesn't mean Ukraine's defenses will quickly collapse.

But it's a major blow that threatens to remove some of the most formidable weapons in Ukraine's battlefield arsenal, and ratchets up pressure on Kyiv to accept a peace agreement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will stand before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday to give an accounting of his turbulent first weeks in office as a divided nation struggles to keep pace, with some Americans fearing for the country's future while others are cheering him on.

CAIRO (AP) — Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on Tuesday are set to endorse a counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump's call for the Gaza Strip to be depopulated and transformed into a beach destination, even as the continuation of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is uncertain.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance is making the case that a U.S.-Ukraine critical minerals deal is a more practical deterrent against Russian President Vladimir Putin than an international security force for post-war Ukraine proposed by key allies Britain and France.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in Congress are taking aim at four cities — often called "sanctuary cities" — over their policies limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement with a hearing this week that comes as President Donald Trump presses ahead with his campaign of mass deportations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday directed a "pause" to U.S. assistance to Ukraine as he seeks to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia.

The move comes just days after a disastrous Oval Office meeting in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance tore into Zelenskyy for what they perceived as insufficient gratitude for the more than $180 billion U.S. has appropriated for military aid and other assistance to Kyiv since the start of Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the FBI's New York field office, who was reported to have resisted Justice Department efforts to scrutinize agents who participated in politically sensitive investigations, has told coworkers that he has retired from the bureau after being directed to do so.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that aimed to bar transgender women and girls nationwide from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes failed to advance Monday night in a divided Senate as Democrats stood united against an issue that Republicans leveraged in last year's elections.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court set execution dates for four inmates, including Oscar Smith, who was within minutes of being executed in 2022, when Gov. Bill Lee issued a sudden reprieve.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is expected to drop a federal lawsuit pushing for emergency abortions in Idaho, which has a strict ban on the procedure, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

The Justice Department outlined its plans to move for dismissal of the lawsuit originally filed by the Biden administration, according to the court papers filed by St. Luke's Health System, the state's largest hospital network.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump did not have the authority to attempt to fire a member of the board responsible for protecting federal government employees from political reprisals or retaliation for whistleblowing, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed likely Tuesday to block a $10 billion lawsuit Mexico filed against top firearm manufacturers in the U.S. alleging the companies have fueled cartel gun violence.

Both liberal and conservative justices appeared skeptical that the claims could clear hurdles in U.S. law that largely shield gun makers from lawsuits when their products are used in crime.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Columbia University has become the first target in President Donald Trump'scampaign to cut federal money to colleges accused of tolerating antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Federal agencies are considering orders to stop work on $51 million in contracts with the New York City school, according to a Monday announcement from the departments of Education and Health and Human Services, and the General Services Administration. They're also reviewing whether Columbia should be eligible to continue receiving more than $5 billion in federal grants.

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called American tariffs "very dumb" and said that U.S. President Donald Trump is appeasing Russia while launching a trade war against Canada.

In a blunt news conference during his final days in office, Trudeau said that Canada would plaster retaliatory tariffs on more than $100 billion of American goods in response to Trump's 25% tariffs.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's long-threatened tariffs are here, plunging the country into an escalating trade war with China, Canada and Mexico.

Trump's 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, along with a heightened 20% levy on Chinese goods. In response, all three countries announced retaliatory measures.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump launched a trade war Tuesday against America's three biggest trading partners, drawing immediate retaliation from Mexico, Canada and China and sending financial markets into a tailspin as the U.S. faced the threat of rekindled inflation and paralyzing uncertainty for business.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's president said Tuesday the country will respond to the 25% tariffs imposed by the United States with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, with details to come.

Mexico will announce the targeted products and other measures Sunday at an event in Mexico City's central plaza, a delay that suggests Mexico hopes to de-escalate the trade war set off by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Stocks racked up more losses on Wall Street Tuesday as a trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners escalated, wiping out all the gains since Election Day for the S&P 500.

The Trump administration imposed tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico starting Tuesday and doubled tariffs against imports from China. All three countries announced retaliatory actions, sparking worries about a slowdown in the global economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales and profits slipped for Target during the crucial holiday quarter as customers held back on spending, and the company said there will be "meaningful pressure" on its profits to start the year because of tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China and other costs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are introducing a pair of resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over documents and information about billionaire adviser Elon Musk's potential conflicts of interest and the firings of federal workers, The Associated Press has learned.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's nominee for the top policy job at the Pentagon acknowledged during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that Russia invaded Ukraine and poses a significant military threat to the U.S. and Europe, but only after persistent questioning from senators on both sides of the political aisle.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson is encouraging Republican lawmakers to skip town halls that have been filled with protesters decrying the Trump administration's slashing of federal government, echoing the president's claims that the demonstration's are fueled by professional protesters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance has struck a nerve with key allies in the U.K. and France after arguing that a U.S.-Ukraine critical minerals deal is a more practical deterrent against Russian President Vladimir Putin than a peacekeeping force for postwar Ukraine that includes "some random country."

BOSTON (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly scored twice and had an assist, Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists and the Nashville Predators picked up a rare road win with a 6-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.

Tommy Novak and Jonathan Marchessault also scored for Nashville, which entered the game with an NHL-worst six wins on the road this season. Mark Jankowski added an empty-net goal late in the third period for the Predators.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Johnell Davis scored 21 points, Trevon Brazile had his first double-double of the season and Arkansas beat Vanderbilt 90-77 on Tuesday night.

Brazile finished with 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. D.J. Wagner scored all of his 14 points in the second half, Zvonimir Ivisic also scored 14 and Karter Knox added 10 for Arkansas (18-12, 7-10 SEC).

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The number of states imposing sales taxes on groceries has shrunk over the years, and the number may decrease further in the coming months as lawmakers hear complaints about high prices for eggs and other household staples.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday moved to drop an emergency abortion case in Idaho in one of its first moves on the issue since President Donald Trump began his second term.

The Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which was originally filed by the Biden administration, in a reversal that could have national implications for urgent care.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a Trump administration push to rebuke a federal judge who imposed a quick deadline to release billions of dollars in foreign aid.

By a 5-4 vote, the court told U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the Republican administration to release nearly $2 billion in aid for work that had already been done.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten Chinese hackers have been charged alongside two Chinese law enforcement officers in a global hacking campaign that targeted dissidents, news organizations and U.S. agencies, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

The hacking by workers of I-Soon was done in some cases at the direction of China's Ministry of Public Security, which received the stolen information and selected targets for the intrusions as part of what U.S. officials say was a massive intelligence-gathering operation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a fight over plans to store nuclear waste at sites in rural Texas and New Mexico.

President Joe Biden's administration and a private company with a license for the Texas facility appealed a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission exceeded its authority in granting the license. The outcome of the case will affect plans for a similar facility in New Mexico roughly 40 miles (65 kilometers) away.

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge has denied Elon Musk's request for a court order blocking OpenAI from converting itself to a for-profit company but said she could expedite a trial to consider Musk's claims against the ChatGPT maker and its CEO.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge extended a nationwide block Tuesday on President Donald Trump's executive orders halting federal funding for providers of gender-affirming health care for transgender people under age 19.

The judge's ruling came in a lawsuit filed earlier this month on behalf of families with transgender or nonbinary children who allege their health care has already been compromised by the president's orders.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration plans to drop a federal lawsuit against a synthetic rubber manufacturer accused of worsening cancer risks for residents in a majority-Black community near its Louisiana plant, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

Makers of the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound are cutting prices for people without insurance.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk said Wednesday that it will drop prices 23% for all doses of Wegovy. The new monthly price of $499, down from $650, takes effect immediately.

Teaching machines in the way that animal trainers mold the behavior of dogs or horses has been an important method for developing artificial intelligence and one that was recognized Wednesday with the top computer science award.

Two pioneers in the field of reinforcement learning, Andrew Barto and Richard Sutton, are the winners of this year's A.M. Turing Award, the tech world's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

NEW YORK (AP) — An insider account being billed as an "explosive dispatch" about "seven critical years" at Facebook/ Meta will be published next week.

Flatiron Books announced Wednesday that "Careless People" is scheduled for Tuesday. It was written by Meta's former director of global public policy, Sarah Wynn-Williams, who left what was then Facebook in 2018.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Smaller movies didn't mean smaller viewer numbers for the Oscars.

An estimated 19.7 million viewers watched Sunday night's 97th Academy Awards ceremony, the biggest audience in five years, according to figures released by ABC on Tuesday.

NHA TRANG, Vietnam (AP) — The gentle waves off the coast of central Vietnam's Nha Trang obscure an open secret: The life-giving coral reefs below are dying. The waters are eerily devoid of fish. The bounty of the ocean is coming to an end.

This is why Binh Van — who fished in these waters for over two decades — now charters his boat to Vietnamese tourists wanting to experience the thrill of fishing in the deep waters of the South China Sea. But there is only squid, which is flourishing in oceans warmed by climate change, to catch. His passengers don't mind as the boat moves away from Nha Trang's twinkling beach resorts. But Van is pensive.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Farmers and meat producers across the U.S. can expect the new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China and the retaliatory action from those countries to hurt their bottom lines by billions of dollars if they stay in place a while, and consumers could quickly see higher prices for produce and ground beef.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said there might be carveouts coming to the 25% tariffs placed on Canada and Mexico by President Donald Trump, a softening of the U.S. position after Tuesday's tax hike hurt the stock market, worried consumers and started a trade war.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's long-threatened tariffs are here, plunging the country into an escalating trade war with China, Canada and Mexico.

Trump's 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico went into effect Tuesday, along with a heightened 20% levy on Chinese goods. In response, all three countries announced retaliatory measures.

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government unveiled an annual economic growth target of "around 5%" on Wednesday, despite the possible negative impact of a looming trade war with the United States, and pledged to address what it called "sluggish" consumer spending at home.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is planning an "aggressive" reorganization that includes cutting 80,000 jobs from the sprawling agency that provides health care for retired military members, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner of Texas has died two months after taking office and hours after attending President Donald Trump's address before Congress in Washington, D.C., officials said on Wednesday. He was 70.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information that has helped the war-torn nation target Russian invaders, but Trump administration officials said Wednesday that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed to keep up his campaign of "swift and unrelenting action" in reorienting the nation's economy, immigration and foreign policy in an unyielding address before Congress that left Democratic legislators to register their dissent with stone faces, placards calling out "lies," and one legislator's ejection.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A president's speech to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong.

But that wasn't President Donald Trump's plan. His speech on Tuesday night was relentlessly partisan, boasting about his election victory and criticizing Democrats for failing to recognize his accomplishments.

President Donald Trump 's Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress highlighted several of the initiatives he's started in his first six weeks in office, but many of his comments included false and misleading information.

Here's a look at the facts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A transcript of President Donald Trump's speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, May 4, 2025, as transcribed by The Associated Press:

Speaker Johnson, Vice President Vance, the first lady of the United States, members of the United States Congress, thank you very much and to my fellow citizens: America is back. Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the Golden Age of America. From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in 4 years, 8 years — and we are just getting started. I return to this chamber tonight to report that America's momentum is back. Our spirit is back. Our pride is back. Our confidence is back. And the American Dream is surging bigger and better than ever before.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas wasn't the first lawmaker ever to blurt out a shout of protest during a presidential address to Congress.

But he's perhaps the only one in recent memory to actually be ejected from the hall Tuesday night by the Speaker of the House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy had written to him to say he appreciates U.S. support for his country in its war with Russia and is ready to sign a deal that could ensure future American support.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A health economist who famously clashed with officials at the National Institutes of Health faces Senate questioning Wednesday on his nomination to head that agency.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor, was an outspoken critic of the government's COVID-19 shutdowns and vaccine policies. Now he's poised to become director of the NIH, long called the government's crown jewel, as it faces mass firings and drastic funding cutbacks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is drafting plans to cut its workforce by as much as half through a mix of layoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The people spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose the plans.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Talaysia Cooper had 19 points and eight rebounds, Jewel Spear added 11 points and three 3-pointers, and 18th-ranked Tennessee beat Texas A&M 77-37 on Wednesday in the opening game of the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee (22-8) advances to play No. 8 seed Vanderbilt on Thursday. The Lady Vols dropped a 71-70 contest against the Commodores on Jan. 19 when Mikayla Blakes tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer for just their 11th series win in the last 90 games.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a lower-court order for the Trump administration to release frozen foreign aid, but it was not clear how quickly money would start flowing.

By a 5-4 vote, the court rejected an emergency appeal from the Republican administration, while also telling U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the quick release of nearly $2 billion in aid for work that had already been done.

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC News appointed Tom Llamas on Wednesday to replace Lester Holt as anchor of "Nightly News" starting this summer, but he's not abandoning his streaming newscast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, as worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that U.S. officials have engaged in "ongoing talks and discussions" with Hamas officials, stepping away from a long-held U.S. policy of not directly engaging in the militant group.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A health economist who once famously clashed with officials at the National Institutes of Health and now is the nominee to lead the agency faced questions from senators from both parties Wednesday about drastic funding cuts and research priorities.

With perhaps as many as 14 of the league’s 16 teams potentially headed to the 68-team NCAA Tournament that begins March 19, it’s easy to understand why so much attention is focused on this year’s SEC tourney. Some analysts have suggested winning the NCAA crown will be easier to win than the SEC championship, and it’s hard to argue.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mortgage rates have been mostly declining in recent weeks, helping encourage prospective home shoppers just as the spring homebuying season gets going.

But the same factors that have pulled mortgage rates to their lowest level since December — signs that the U.S. economy is slowing and uncertainty over the potential fallout from the Trump administration's tariffs on imports — are clouding the outlook for where mortgage rates will go from here.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices are freezing out many would-be buyers, keeping the U.S. housing market in a sales slump dating back to 2022.

While home sales are off to a soft start this year, it hasn't been all bad news for home shoppers.

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Jaemyn Brakefield scored all 19 of his points in the final 11 minutes, including a tiebreaking basket with 7 seconds remaining that lifted Mississippi over No. 4 Tennessee 78-76 on Wednesday night.

Brakefield rebounded a missed 3-pointer from Sean Pedulla and fought through traffic inside to convert the decisive layup. Malik Dia and Dre Davis had 13 points apiece for Ole Miss (21-9, 10-7 Southeastern Conference), and Matthew Murrell added 12.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court in Washington removed the head of a federal watchdog agency on Wednesday in the latest twist in a legal fight over Republican President Donald Trump's authority to fire the special counsel.

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sided with the Trump administration in allowing the immediate removal of Hampton Dellinger from the Office of Special Counsel while arguments continue over the legality of Dellinger's firing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twelve Chinese nationals — including mercenary hackers, law enforcement officers and employees of a private hacking company — have been charged in connection with global cybercrime campaigns targeting dissidents, news organizations, U.S. agencies and universities, the Justice Department says.

WASHINGTON (AP) — To President Donald Trump, "tariff" is more than "the most beautiful word in the dictionary," something he says often.

Tariffs, in Trump's view, are also a cure for a number of the nation's ills and the tool to reach new heights.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank has cut interest rates by another quarter percentage point to boost growth, lowering credit costs for consumers and businesses to support an economy that is struggling to grow - and could soon face even stronger headwinds from threatened U.S. tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marc Rosenberg, founder and CEO of The Edge Desk in Deerfield, Illinois is getting ready to introduce a fancy ergonomic chair designed to reduce customers' back pain and boost their productivity. He figures the most expensive one will sell for more than $1,000. But he can't settle on a price, and he is reluctantly reducing the shipment he's bringing to the United States from China.

NEW YORK (AP) — As toy inventors, toy manufacturers and buyers for stores that sell toys met for a four-day annual trade show in New York last weekend, a topic besides which items were destined for holiday wish lists permeated the displays.

President Donald Trump had announced days before that he planned to increase the extra tariff he put on Chinese imports in February to 20%. Would he? By Tuesday, the last day of the Toy Fair, attendees had their answer, and the talk about how it would affect the prices of playthings grew more urgent.

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, though sales dipped with shoppers remaining cautious about spending.

The strength of the quarterly profit surprised Wall Street, but sales were just below expectations and uncertainty about both the American consumer and new tariffs seeped into the company's outlook for 2025.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump talks of big change in his second term of office. But he's not forgetting small change, either.

Trump ordered the Treasury Department to stop making pennies with a Feb. 10 sentence on his social media account that followed years of conservatives pointing out that putting a copper-coated zinc disc in your pocket costs the government more than a cent — almost 4 cents today.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rural cancer patients may miss out on cutting-edge treatments in Utah. Therapies for intellectual disorders could stall in Maryland. Red states and blue states alike are poised to lose jobs in research labs and the local businesses serving them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has said he wants his new education chief, Linda McMahon, to "put herself out of a job" and close the Education Department.

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama President José Raúl Mulino on Wednesday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of lying when he said in his address to Congress that his administration was "reclaiming" the Panama Canal.

Trump was referencing a deal announced Tuesday for a consortium led by the U.S. investment management company BlackRock Inc. to buy a controlling stake in the company held by a Chinese group that operates ports at both ends of the Panama Canal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has paused its intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information that has helped the war-torn nation target Russian invaders, but Trump administration officials said Wednesday that positive talks between Washington and Kyiv mean it may only be a short suspension.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday voted to censure an unrepentant Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for disrupting President Donald Trump's address to Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had Green removed from the chamber during the early moments of Trump's speech Tuesday night. Green stood and shouted at Trump after the Republican president said the Nov. 5 election had delivered a governing mandate not seen for many decades.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday and learned about something new — budget rescissions, an obscure legislative tool that could bring legal heft to his federal budget slashing effort and enshrine the cuts into law.