The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in the mud and sand. That’s resulting in delays for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line. Lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in some areas from…
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries has decided to sharply cut production to support sagging oil prices. The move Wednesday could deal the struggling global economy another blow and raise politically sensitive pump prices for U.S. drivers just ahead of key national elections. Energy ministers meeting at the Vienna headquarters of…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say Russia is working to amplify doubts about the integrity of American elections while China is interested in influencing policy perspectives in favor of Beijing. That concern aligns with unclassified intelligence advisory obtained by The Associated Press that says China is probably seeking to influence select races to “hinder candidates…
Planned Parenthood officials have announced plans for a mobile abortion clinic, a 37-foot RV that will stay in Illinois but travel close to the borders of adjoining states that have banned abortions since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year. The announcement Monday comes 100 days after the Supreme Court ruling that…
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (AP) — The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida’s southwest coast as the storm approaches landfall. The hurricane’s center neared Florida on Wednesday after rapidly intensifying overnight, gaining top winds of 155 mph. That puts Ian just shy of devastating Category 5 hurricane status. Ian…
The speaker of the Missouri House is urging the U.S. attorney in Kansas City to shut down Agape Boarding School, accusing the Christian school of “what amounts to organized crime against children.” Republican House Speaker Rob Vescovo wrote U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore on Wednesday. The letter was made available to reporters on Monday. In it,…
LONDON (AP) — The British pound has fallen to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar after the government pledged a sweeping package of tax cuts that have fueled concerns about its economic policy. The pound fell as low as $1.0373 Monday, before rallying to above $1.06 in early London trading. The British currency has…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge is weighing two lawsuits against a new state law on voter photo identification and civic engagement rules. Attorneys argued over how and whether the lawsuits should proceed during a hearing before a judge on Friday. The first lawsuit probes the constitutionality of requiring voters to show a…
ISTANBUL (AP) — Military-aged men have joined an exodus from Russia on the second full day of a partial military mobilization. They filled planes and caused traffic jams at land borders in desperate bids to avoid being rounded up to fight in Ukraine. A traffic jam of 10 kilometers (6 miles) formed on a road…
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Joe Biden has declared that Russia has “shamelessly violated the core tenets” of the United Nations charter with its “brutal, needless war” in Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday delivered a forceful condemnation of Russia’s invasion to the international body, saying abuses against civilians in Ukraine “should make your blood run cold.”…