QARAQOSH, Iraq (AP) — Pope Francis has urged Iraq’s Christians to forgive the injustices committed against them by Islamic extremists. He has made the call on a tour Sunday of the community’s traditional heartland in northern Iraq, which was nearly decimated by the Islamic State group’s rule. Francis prayed for the country’s war dead amid…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order directing federal agencies to take a series of steps to promote voting access. The order comes as congressional Democrats press for a sweeping voting and elections bill to counter efforts to restrict voting access. Biden will announce the order during a recorded address…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ordered a judge to reconsider adding a third-degree murder charge against a former Minneapolis police officer accused in George Floyd’s death. A three-judge panel said Friday that the trial judge erred when he rejected a motion to reinstate the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin. The…
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a surprisingly robust 379,000 jobs last month, a sign the economy is strengthening as virus cases drop, vaccinations ramp up, Americans spend more and states ease business restrictions. The February gain marked a pickup from the 166,000 jobs added in January and a loss of 306,000 in December. Yet…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is steering toward a voting marathon on Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that’s expected to end with the chamber’s approval of the measure. That comes after a Republican foe of President Joe Biden’s top legislative priority forced an extraordinary half-day holdup on the bill. Moments after the Senate took…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that the Capitol Police have requested that members of the National Guard continue to provide security at the U.S. Capitol for another two months. And defense officials say the proposal is being reviewed by the Pentagon. The request underscores the continuing concerns about security and the potential…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress are jamming their agenda forward with a sense of urgency. They’re taking an unapologetically partisan approach to advance the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue, voting rights and other priorities. Their calculation is that it’s better to try to push ahead than risk wasting time courting Republican…
Cities and states are rapidly expanding access to vaccines as the nation races to head off a resurgence in coronavirus infections and reopen schools and businesses battered by the pandemic. The efforts come as the federal government ramps up shipments, with President Joe Biden saying the U.S. should have enough shots for all adults by…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department took more than three hours to dispatch the National Guard to the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol despite a frantic request for reinforcement from police. That’s according to testimony Wednesday that added to the finger-pointing about the government response. Maj. Gen. William Walker, commanding general of the District…
BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq says at least 10 rockets have targeted a military base in western Iraq that hosts American troops. The rockets struck Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday. That’s according to coalition spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto. It was not immediately known if there were…