August 31, 2024 5:44 am
(AP) — The United States military and Iraq launched a joint raid targeting suspected Islamic State group militants in the country’s western desert that killed at least 15 people and saw seven American troops hurt. The U.S. military’s Central Command alleged Saturday that the militants were armed with “numerous weapons, grenades, and explosive ‘suicide’ belts” during the attack, which Iraqi forces said happened on Thursday in the country’s Anbar Desert. The raid killed 15 people. Iraq had earlier announced the raids without saying the U.S. took part. For years after dislodging the militants from their self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria, U.S. forces have fought the Islamic State group, though the casualties from this raid were higher than in previous ones.
August 31, 2024 5:37 am
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil has started blocking Elon Musk’s social media platform X, making it largely inaccessible on both the web and through its mobile app after the company refused to comply with a judge’s order. X missed a deadline imposed by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to name a legal representative in Brazil, triggering the suspension. It marks an escalation in the monthslong feud between Musk and de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation. To block X, Brazil’s telecommunications regulator, Anatel, told internet service providers to suspend users’ access to X. As of Saturday after midnight local time, major operators had begun doing so.
August 31, 2024 3:58 am
Washington County Commissioners may have to vote again on a new emergency radio system contract with Motorola. Commissioner Larry Maggi tells WJPA News that Solicitor Gary Sweat has expressed concerns about how the contraact vote was handled at their August 15 meeting. Specifically, the fact that the cost and scope of the contract were not included in the motion that was approved on a 2-1 vote. Commissioner’s Chairman Nick Sherman and fellow Republican Electra Janis voted in favor. Maggi, who is a Democrat, voted against and questioned the lack of details in the motion both prior to and after the vote. According to Maggi, Sweat has told commissioners that he believes the matter should be brought up for another formal vote with specific details included when they meet September 19h to avoid any potential legal challenges. The contract is believed to total some $25 million.
August 31, 2024 3:42 am
(AP) – U.S. regulators have cleared a third updated COVID-19 vaccine for this fall, shots made by Novavax Inc. The Food and Drug Administration cleared updated shots made by Novavax on Friday. Already, Pfizer and Moderna are shipping doses modified to better match more recent strains of the ever-evolving virus. There are some differences. Pfizer and Moderna are so-called mRNA vaccines and come in doses for both adults and children as young as 6 months. Novavax makes a protein-based vaccine, a different technology, and those shots are open to anyone 12 and older.
August 30, 2024 5:14 am
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage eased for the second week in a row and remains at its lowest level in more than a year. That’s good news for prospective homebuyers facing home prices near all-time highs. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate fell to 6.35% from 6.46% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.18%. Mortgage rates are expected to keep trending lower overall this year. That’s due to signs of waning inflation and a cooling job market, which have raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut its benchmark interest rate next month for the first time in four years.
August 30, 2024 5:13 am
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell slightly last week as the U.S. labor market remains healthy in the face of high interest rates. Jobless claims ticked down by 2,000 to 231,000 for the week of Aug. 24, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s just below the 232,000 new filings analysts were expecting. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the week-to-week volatility, fell by 4,750 to 231,500. Weekly filings for unemployment benefits, which are considered a proxy for layoffs, remain low by historic standards. The total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits rose by 13,000 to 1.87 million for the week of Aug. 17.
August 30, 2024 5:12 am
(AP) – A Boar’s Head deli meat plant in Virginia tied to a deadly food poisoning outbreak repeatedly violated federal regulations, including instances of mold, insects, liquid dripping from ceilings, and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Government inspectors logged 69 instances of “noncompliance” with federal rules in the past year, including several in recent weeks, according to documents released through federal Freedom of Information Act requests. U.S. Agriculture Department officials say in a statement that the plant will remain closed “until the establishment is able to demonstrate it can produce safe product.” The plant has been linked to the deaths of at least nine people and hospitalizations of about 50 others in 18 states. All were sickened with listeria after eating Boar’s Head Provisions Co. Inc. deli meats. (Photo: AP)
August 30, 2024 5:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to appear at the annual gathering of the group Moms for Liberty. The national nonprofit has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. The “fireside chat” with Trump on Friday night will serve to shore up his support with a key part of his base, conservatives who agree with him that parents should have a larger say in education. Yet the former president also runs the risk of alienating moderate voters who view Moms for Liberty’s activism as too extreme. Trump will first visit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for a rally.
August 30, 2024 5:09 am
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday defended shifting away from her some of her more liberal positions in her first major television interview of her presidential campaign. But she insisted her “values have not changed,” even as she is “seeking consensus.” Sitting with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris was asked about changes in her policies over the years, specifically her reversals on fracking and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. The CNN interview comes as voters are still trying to learn more about the Democratic ticket under an unusually compressed time frame. Joe Biden stepped down just five weeks ago.
August 30, 2024 5:07 am
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A convicted killer is due in court in Pennsylvania on escape charges, nearly a year after his daring two weeks as a fugitive began. Lawyers say 35-year-old Danilo Cavalcante of Brazil is expected in court Friday for a potential plea hearing. But defense lawyer Lonny Fish says he can’t comment on whether a deal has been finalized. Security video shows Cavalcante scaling a wall in a jail exercise yard, then climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof to escape. He also faces charges for allegedly stealing a farm truck, rifle, food and clothing while on the run.
