February 15, 2025 4:19 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal workers were responding with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration’s latest effort to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off probationary employees who have yet to qualify for civil service protections. Many of those workers say they had already accepted the administration’s deferred resignation offer, under which they were supposed to be paid until Sept. 30 if they agreed to quit, raising questions about how many others who signed will nonetheless be fired.
February 15, 2025 4:16 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators say the crew of the Army helicopter that collided in midair with an American Airlines jet near Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport may have had inaccurate altitude readings in the moments before the crash, and also may not have heard key instructions from air traffic controllers to move behind the plane.National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy says the recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit suggests the crew may have missed the key instruction just before the Jan. 29 collision, in which all 67 aboard the two aircraft were killed.
February 15, 2025 4:12 am
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas-led militants have released three male Israeli hostages, parading them before a crowd in the southern Gaza Strip before handing them over to the Red Cross as part of a shaky ceasefire deal that requires Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The Red Cross delivered the three — Iair Horn, 46, a dual citizen of Israel and Argentina; American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36; and Rusian-Israeli Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov, 29 — to the Israeli military. All were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, a hard-hit community in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war. They appeared pale and worn, but seemed to be in better physical condition than the three men released last Saturday, who had emerged emaciated from 16 months of captivity.
February 15, 2025 4:09 am
MUNICH (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has shot back strongly in defense of his stance against the far-right and said his country won’t accept people who “intervene in our democracy,” a day after U.S. Vice President JD Vance scolded European leaders over their approach to democracy. The German leader spoke just eight days before crucial elections in Germany, with polls showing the far-right Alternative for Germany party currently in second. European leaders are trying to make sense of a tough new line from Washington on issues including democracy and Ukraine’s future as the Munich Security Conference enters a second day.
February 14, 2025 5:56 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators say the crew of the helicopter that collided midair with an American Airlines jet near Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport might not have heard an instruction from the air traffic controller to pass behind the plane. National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said the recording from the Black Hawk helicopter cockpit suggests the crew may have missed the key instruction just before the Jan. 29 collision, in which all 67 aboard the two aircraft were killed. (Photo: AP)
February 14, 2025 5:06 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Nonprofit organizations across the country were plunged into uncertainty after the White House froze spending on federal loans and grants two weeks ago. The Trump administration’s order created chaos for nonprofits in the poorest, most rural states, like West Virginia. That state’s reliance on federal funds to help address deeply ingrained issues makes it particularly vulnerable to the sweeping actions. An economic development organization had to pause projects revitalizing abandoned coal-era factories and installing solar panels. An organization supporting young adults transitioning from foster care had to freeze funding it planned to use for school mental health support.
February 14, 2025 5:05 am
HONG KONG (AP) — TikTok has returned to the app stores of Apple and Google in the U.S., after President Donald Trump delayed the enforcement of a TikTok ban. TikTok, which is operated by Chinese technology firm ByteDance, was removed from Apple and Google’s app stores on Jan. 18 to comply with a law that requires ByteDance to divest the app or be banned in the U.S. The popular social media app, which has over 170 million American users, previously suspended its services in the U.S. for a day before restoring service following assurances from Trump that he would postpone banning the app. On Trump’s first day in office, he signed an executive order to extend the enforcement of a ban on TikTok to April 5.
February 14, 2025 5:04 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Heavy rain is falling across Southern California, creating deluges of water and mud on roads at the bottom of hillsides left barren by recent wildfires. One swift debris flow in Malibu swept a Los Angeles Fire Department vehicle off the Pacific Coast Highway and into the ocean. Evacuations have been ordered in some Los Angeles neighborhoods due to Thursday’s weather. The West Coast storms are just the latest in a week of bad weather across the U.S. Snow and ice caused major pileups on highways in Oregon and Washington, injuring at least 10 people.
February 14, 2025 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has rolled out his plan to increase U.S. tariffs to match the tax rates that other countries charge on imports. The Republican is possibly triggering a broader economic confrontation with allies and rivals alike as he hopes to eliminate any trade imbalances. Trump said Thursday: “I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff.’ The prospect of a dramatic hike on tariffs could send shockwaves through the world economy, possibly depressing growth while also causing inflation to intensify. Most economists say the tariffs would effectively be a tax increase on U.S. consumers. Trump says he’s decided “for purposes of fairness” that he’ll charge reciprocal tariffs.
February 14, 2025 5:01 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor, Danielle Sassoon, and five high-ranking Justice Department officials have resigned after she refused an order to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. It’s a stunning escalation in a dayslong standoff over the Trump administration prioritizing political aims over criminal culpability. Sassoon is a Republican who was interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. She accused the department of acceding to a “quid pro quo” — namely, dropping the case to ensure Adams’ help with Trump’s immigration agenda. And she said she was “confident” the Democratic mayor committed the crimes spelled out in his indictment, and even more.
