Vice President Harris’ trip aims to deepen US ties in Africa
March 25, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will try to deepen and reframe U.S. relationships in Africa during a weeklong trip that is the latest and highest profile outreach by the Biden administration as it moves to counter China's growing influence.
Canada pledges Great Lakes funding after Trudeau-Biden talks
March 25, 2023 GMTTRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Canada has pledged a significant increase in spending to improve water quality in the Great Lakes following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration also has boosted funding for the shared waters.
Greene’s DC jail visit pulls GOP closer to Jan. 6 rioters
March 25, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene swept into the District of Columbia jail to check on conditions for the Jan.
Biden’s moves on Alaska drilling, TikTok test young voters
March 25, 2023 GMTTEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Recent moves by President Joe Biden to pressure TikTok over its Chinese ownership and approve oil drilling in an untapped area of Alaska are testing the loyalty of young voters, a group that’s largely been in his corner.
US, Canada end loophole that let asylum-seekers cross border
March 25, 2023 GMTST. JOHNSBURY, Vermont (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement that has allowed thousands of asylum-seeking immigrants to move between the two countries along a back road linking New York state to the Canadian province of Quebec.
Geothermal developer wants to delist endangered Nevada toad
March 25, 2023 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — In an unusual move that could pit two Biden administration agencies against each other, the developer of a planned Nevada geothermal power plant says it intends to sue U.S wildlife officials to overturn the endangered species listing of a toad in adjacent wetlands.
Biden, Trudeau say ‘inseparable’ nations won’t fail Ukraine
March 25, 2023 GMTOTTAWA, ONTARIO (AP) — President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday celebrated the close, “inseparable” U.S.-Canada relationship and vowed that the two nations remain committed to defending Ukraine as it tries to repel a Russian invasion that has no end in sight.
Biden: US will ‘forcefully’ protect personnel in Syria
March 24, 2023 GMTOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that the U.S. would respond “forcefully” to protect its personnel after U.S. forces retaliated with airstrikes on sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard following a suspected Iranian-linked attack Thursday that killed a U.S.
Court blocks COVID-19 vaccine mandate for US gov’t workers
March 24, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 has been blocked by a federal appeals court.
Biden’s Canada agenda stacked: NORAD, migration deals likely
March 24, 2023 GMTOTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — President Joe Biden arrived in Canada on Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on several of the world's most difficult challenges: the war in Ukraine, climate change, trade, mass migration and an increasingly assertive China.
Official: Willow oil project holds promise, faces obstacles
March 23, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Willow oil project on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope is part of a “new era” of large-scale development in the region but it isn't a sure thing, with litigation and costs among the factors that stand as potential impediments, a state official told lawmakers Thursday.
House GOP fails to override Biden veto of ESG investing ban
March 23, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House failed Thursday to override President Joe Biden's first veto — of a Republican-led bill that would have banned the consideration of environmental, social or governance issues in retirement and other investment decisions.
Pro-labor? Biden aims to prove it with unionized 2024 staff
March 23, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden likes to say he's the most pro-union president in U.S.
Biden approval dips near lowest point: AP-NORC poll
March 23, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Approval of President Joe Biden has dipped slightly since a month ago, nearing the lowest point of his presidency as his administration tries to project a sense of stability while confronting a pair of bank failures and inflation that remains stubbornly high.
Netanyahu seeks to soothe US concerns over settlement repeal
March 23, 2023 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to back down on Wednesday, saying his government has no intention of returning to four abandoned settlements in the occupied West Bank under a law that was repealed by parliament this week.
Jill Biden: It’s time for men to step up for women’s rights
March 23, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday used a Women's History Month event at the White House to call on men to step up and fight to protect women's rights.
The first lady, speaking ahead of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, didn't mince words as she lamented that women find themselves relitigating “battles that we thought we had won a long time ago.”
TikTok sends influencers to Washington as its troubles grow
March 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok is ramping up a public relations campaign to fend off the possibility of a nationwide ban by the Biden administration, and it’s bringing some unconventional advocates to help: online influencers.
Lindsay Lohan, other celebs settle with SEC over crypto case
March 22, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — Actress Lindsay Lohan, rapper Akon and several other celebrities have agreed to pay tens of thousands of dollars to settle claims they promoted crypto investments to their millions of social media followers without disclosing they were being paid to do so.
US review of Afghanistan withdrawal to be released in April
March 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The results of the long-delayed government review of the chaotic U.S.
Vote on Biden’s pick to run FAA delayed amid GOP opposition
March 22, 2023 GMTA vote on President Joe Biden's choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration was delayed indefinitely Wednesday in the face of an opposition blitz by Republicans, who say the nominee lacks enough experience in aviation to lead the agency, which is under pressure to stem a surge in dangerous close calls between planes.
US: No reason for China to react to Taiwan leader stopover
March 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is putting out the word that planned stopovers in the United States by Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in the coming weeks fall in line with recent precedent and should not be used as a pretext by China to step up aggressive activity in the Taiwan Strait.
Springsteen, Kaling, Louis-Dreyfus among 22 honored by Biden
March 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden welcomed a high-wattage collection of singers, authors, artists and humanitarians to the White House on Tuesday to present them with medals — and then stole the show himself with a quip about seeking reelection.
Biden creates national monuments in Nevada, Texas mountains
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Tuesday he is establishing national monuments on more than half a million acres in Nevada and Texas and creating a marine sanctuary in U.S. waters near the Pacific Remote Islands southwest of Hawaii.
Fox, Dominion face off over airing of false election claims
March 21, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Fox News and a voting machine company that claims the conservative network defamed it by amplifying baseless allegations of fraud following the 2020 presidential election faced off in a courtroom Tuesday during a key hearing over whether journalists have a responsibility to be cautious with explosive and implausible allegations.
Saudi Arabia frees American imprisoned over critical tweets
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A 72-year-old American imprisoned more than a year in Saudi Arabia over tweets critical of the Saudi crown prince was back with family members in Riyadh on Tuesday, but it remained unclear whether the kingdom would drop a travel ban to allow him to return home to Florida.
DC braces for ‘robust oversight’ after criminal code fiasco
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's signature on a bill nullifying an overhaul of the District of Columbia criminal code ended a public fight between Congress and local lawmakers.
Tennessee law prevents local bans on natural gas stoves
March 21, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation that says local governments can't ban gas stoves, even though no current city in Tennessee is currently pursuing such actions.
Biden signs measure nullifying DC criminal code revisions
March 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law legislation nullifying the recent overhaul of the District of Columbia criminal code, but the fight between Congress and local lawmakers is continuing.
Biden issues first veto, taking on new Republican House
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden issued the first veto of his presidency Monday in an early sign of shifting White House relations with the new Congress since Republicans took control of the House in January — a move that serves as a prelude to bigger battles with GOP lawmakers on government spending and the nation's debt limit.
Biden signs bill on COVID origins declassification
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan bill Monday that directs the federal government to declassify as much intelligence as possible about the origins of COVID-19 more than three years after the start of the pandemic.
‘Ted Lasso’ visits White House, promotes mental health care
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso used a White House visit Monday to encourage people, even in politically divided Washington, to make it a point to check in often with friends, family and co-workers to "ask how they're doing, and listen, sincerely,”
WH economic report: Money for child care would help growth
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is making the case for more government support for child care programs in an economic report that it released Monday, drawing on extensive research to say additional spending would improve kids' lives, increase the quality of early childhood schooling and enable more women to hold jobs.
Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz celebration
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden used a White House event to mark Persian New Year on Monday to pay tribute to Iranian women and girls who took to the streets of Iran to protest following the death last year of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and vowed to keep pressure on Tehran.
Prosecutors rest in sedition case against Proud Boys leaders
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Monday rested their seditious conspiracy case against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and four lieutenants charged with plotting to stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden after the 2020 election.
Biden’s appeals court nominee faces rare Democratic scrutiny
March 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — One of President Joe Biden's nominees to a federal appeals court has generated rare concern from some Democrats and outside groups over his signature on a legal brief defending a parental notification law in New Hampshire, injecting the issue of abortion into his confirmation fight from an unexpected flank.
How will China respond as US pivots to bigger Asia-Pacific presence?
March 19, 2023 GMTChina is expected to shore up its defences to restrict other forces off its coast as the US prepares to expand its military presence in other countries in the region, according to one analyst.
Beijing might also try to pressure some Southeast Asian countries to keep their distance from the United States, two analysts said.
Biden calls Israel’s Netanyahu with judicial plan ‘concern’
March 19, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express "concern” over his government’s planned overhaul of the country’s judicial system that has sparked widespread protests across Israel and to encourage compromise.
Bidens to host ‘Ted Lasso’ cast to promote mental health
March 19, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host the cast of the TV series “Ted Lasso” at the White House on Monday to promote mental health and well-being.
How a warrant for Putin puts new spin on Xi visit to Russia
March 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week highlighted China’s aspirations for a greater role on the world stage.
Bank failures: Anger in Congress, but division on what to do
March 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Bills were filed, hearings were planned and blame was cast as Congress reacted this past week to the abrupt failure of two banks.
Biden cheers for Irish bonds, unity on St. Patrick’s Day
March 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Sporting a green tie and shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day, President Joe Biden on Friday voiced his support for a recent economic accord affecting Ireland as he hosted the republic's prime minister, a longstanding meetup scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic the past two years.
Haaland criticized over ‘difficult’ choice on Willow project
March 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In early March, President Joe Biden met with members of Alaska's bipartisan congressional delegation as they implored him to approve a contentious oil drilling project in their state.
Biden calls for tougher penalties for execs of failed banks
March 17, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday called on Congress to allow regulators to impose tougher penalties on the executives of failed banks, including clawing back compensation and making it easier to bar them from working in the industry.
Texas, Florida push border laws as governors eye presidency
March 17, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Led by tough-talking Republican governors weighing presidential runs, Texas and Florida are debating especially strict legislation on border security as the GOP tests federal authority over immigration.
Why TikTok’s security risks keep raising fears
March 17, 2023 GMTTikTok is once again fending off claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.
The AP Interview: Gov. Wes Moore reflects on first 2 months
March 16, 2023 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Thursday he's aiming for “the most full assault on child poverty” to ever happen in Maryland during his first legislative session, touching on a wide variety of topics in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.
Yellen declares bank system sound, as new rescues ordered
March 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen offered firm, upbeat reassurances to rattled bank depositors and investors Thursday, even as American financial institutions and European agencies ordered fresh rescue efforts following the second-largest bank collapse in U.S.
GOP congressmen: Halt offshore wind, probe whale deaths
March 16, 2023 GMTWILDWOOD, N.J. (AP) — Republican congressmen called Thursday for a halt to all offshore wind power projects amid a spate of whale deaths on the U.S. East Coast in what was likely the beginning of an expected investigation by the GOP-controlled House into the Biden administration's clean energy plans.
Biden climate legacy tested by backlash over Willow project
March 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — When Elise Joshi was at the White House last year, her eyes welled with happy tears as President Joe Biden hosted thousands of supporters to celebrate groundbreaking legislation targeting climate change.
With Saudi deals, US, China battle for influence in Mideast
March 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In a matter of days, Saudi Arabia carried out blockbuster agreements with the world’s two leading powers — China and the United States.
Riyadh signed a Chinese-facilitated deal aimed at restoring diplomatic ties with its arch-nemesis Iran and then announced a massive contract to buy commercial planes from U.S.
Biden says he’s focused ‘intensely’ on lowering drug costs
March 15, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday said his administration was focused “intensely” on lowering health care costs and took aim at “MAGA” Republicans who he said are intent on dialing back Medicare coverage for millions of Americans.
Garcetti confirmed as India ambassador after 20-month fight
March 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti won confirmation Wednesday from a divided Senate as the nation’s next ambassador to India, more than a year and a half after he was first nominated by President Joe Biden and after weathering doubts about his truthfulness in a sexual harassment scandal involving a City Hall adviser.
2 Florida men guilty of participating in Capitol riot
March 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Two Florida men were convicted Wednesday of storming the U.S. Capitol during the January 2021 insurrection.
Joshua Christopher Doolin, 25, of Polk City, and Michael Steven Perkins, 39, of Plant City, were each found guilty of felony civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, according to court records.
EU closer to ending US trade spat, moves on Green Deal funds
March 15, 2023 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union moved closer to ending a trade dispute with U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday following months of wrangling over the billions of America-first incentives in his clean technology plans and said it would ramp up a similar subsidy-laden effort at home.
Warnock’s campaign chief sees lessons from Dems in Georgia
March 15, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — When Quentin Fulks went back home to Ellaville, Georgia, last year, people kept telling him how proud they were to watch a native son lead Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection bid. Then came the caveat: They still weren’t going to vote for his boss.
Haaland wades into thorny land exchange fight in Alaska
March 15, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A day after the Biden administration approved a major Alaska oil project, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland waded into another thorny battle in the state — a long-simmering dispute over building a road through a national wildlife refuge to provide health care access for a remote, and largely Indigenous, community.
Biden says Jimmy Carter has asked him to deliver his eulogy
March 15, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden says he plans to deliver the eulogy at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who remains under hospice care at his home in south Georgia.
Biden told donors at a California fundraiser Monday evening about his “recent” visit to see the 39th president, whom he has known since he was a young Delaware senator supporting Carter's 1976 presidential campaign.
Biden on gun control: ‘Do something, do something big’
March 14, 2023 GMTMONTEREY PARK, Calif. (AP) — The grief is still suffocating, the anger still visceral, President Joe Biden said Tuesday, in this suburban Los Angeles community where a gunman stormed a dance hall and killed 11 in January.
Boston Police Department fires 2 outspoken officers
March 14, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The Boston Police Department has fired two officers, one who protested vaccine mandates at the mayor's house and other places and another who criticized former Vice President Mike Pence on social media for allowing the certification of President Joe Biden's election.
Novo Nordisk plans price cuts for several insulins
March 14, 2023 GMTAnother major insulin maker has promised steep price cuts, as pressure grows on drugmakers and insurers to trim the cost of a medication that millions of Americans need.
Novo Nordisk said Tuesday that it will slash some of its U.S.
$2.5B in grants for EV chargers aim at underserved US areas
March 14, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government on Tuesday announced $2.5 billion in new grants for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations and alternative fueling infrastructure, aiming in part at increasing access in underserved neighborhoods and communities.
China says AUKUS on ‘dangerous path’ with nuclear subs deal
March 14, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — The United States, Australia and the United Kingdom are traveling “further down the wrong and dangerous path for their own geopolitical self-interest,” China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, responding to an agreement under which Australia will purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S.
Biden seeks to show stability in bid to avert banking chaos
March 14, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In 2016, Vice President Joe Biden warned against efforts to unravel banking regulations that Democrats had fought to implement following the nation’s financial crisis, just as the emerging Trump administration was determined to loosen those strict banking rules.
Biden OKs Alaska oil project, draws ire of environmentalists
March 14, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Monday it is approving a huge oil-drilling project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, a major environmental decision by President Joe Biden that drew quick condemnation as flying in the face of his pledges to slow climate change.
Alaska’s Willow oil project is controversial. Here’s why.
March 14, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Biden administration is approving a major oil project on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope that supporters say represents an economic lifeline for Indigenous communities in the region but environmentalists say is counter to President Joe Biden's climate goals.
What’s the status of the US death penalty?
March 14, 2023 GMTThe first federal capital case tried under President Joe Biden ended with a split among jurors that means the life of an Islamic extremist who killed eight people in a New York City will be spared. It came at a rare federal death penalty trial in a state without the death penalty.
Texas Republicans propose state immigration police force
March 13, 2023 GMTAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Texas are proposing legislation that would make it a state felony to cross the border from Mexico illegally and create a new border police force that could deputize private citizens, the latest in the state's continued push to test the limits of the federal government's authority over immigration.
Biden announces nuclear-powered submarines for Australia
March 13, 2023 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom on Monday announced that Australia will purchase nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S.
Business Highlights: Banking system aid, Alaska oil project
March 13, 2023 GMT___
Government races to reassure US that banking system is safe
NEW YORK (AP) — Depositors withdrew savings, and investors broadly sold off bank shares as the federal government raced to reassure Americans that the banking system is secure following two bank failures.
As Biden weighs Willow, he blocks other Alaska oil drilling
March 13, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — As President Joe Biden prepares a final decision on the huge Willow oil project in Alaska, his administration announced he will prevent or limit oil drilling in 16 million acres in Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.
Kimpson leaving South Carolina Senate to join Biden admin
March 12, 2023 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — State Sen. Marlon Kimpson, a South Carolina lawmaker and early backer of President Joe Biden, is leaving his legislative post more than a year early to take an appointment in the Biden administration.
Anti-Trump GOP voters mostly loyal in 2022, but not entirely
March 12, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Lauren Boebert's grip on Colorado's 3rd Congressional District didn't seem in question heading into last year's midterms.
Will it take market crash for Congress to raise debt limit?
March 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — There's one way to force President Joe Biden and Congress to solve the looming crisis over the debt limit: a financial market crash.
New Air Force One will stay blue and white, Biden decides
March 11, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is sticking with a blue-and-white color scheme for the exterior of the replacement Air Force One aircraft, the first of which is expected to be delivered in four years.
Jill Biden promotes cancer research in New Orleans
March 11, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — First lady Jill Biden visited a medical center in New Orleans on Friday to stress the importance of cancer research, a priority in the budget proposal President Joe Biden sent to Congress.
Judge sides with ConocoPhillips Alaska in well data dispute
March 11, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A judge has ruled that data from wells drilled by ConocoPhillips Alaska on federal lands on Alaska's North Slope — including wells that are part of a major oil project the company is pursuing called Willow — can remain confidential for now.
House votes to declassify info about origins of COVID-19
March 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Friday to declassify U.S. intelligence information about the origins of COVID-19, a sweeping show of bipartisan support near the third anniversary of the start of the deadly pandemic.
Biden, EU leader launch talks to ease rift on EV subsidies
March 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In a potential boost for electric vehicles, President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday they've agreed to open negotiations on the use of European minerals critical in the production of batteries for EVs that are eligible for U.S.
In rift with Biden, Manchin vows to block oil, gas nominee
March 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In a sign of a deepening rift among Democrats on energy issues, conservative Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he will not move forward on President Joe Biden’s nominee to oversee oil and gas leasing at the Interior Department.