National News

By JANIE HAR and BRIAN SKOLOFF , Associated Press UPPER LAKE, Calif. (AP) — A massive wildfire in Northern California has torched more than 1,000 homes in and around the city of Redding, authorities said Wednesday as some evacuees were allowed to return home and new blazes exploded in what has become an endless summer…

By JUAN A. LOZANO , Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — A man suspected of killing one of former President George H.W. Bush's doctors may have been seeking revenge for his mother, who died on the doctor's operating table more than 20 years ago, authorities said Wednesday. Joseph James Pappas, 62, should be considered armed, dangerous…

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — An aviation expert says passengers in plane crashes like Tuesday's Aeromexico accident — in which no one died — have better chances of survival due to more robust aircraft construction. Air safety investigator Adrian Young, from the Netherlands-based consultancy To70, said that crash survival rates "are higher than they have ever…

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR , Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is clearing the way for insurers to sell short-term health plans as a bargain alternative to pricey Obama-law policies for people struggling with high premiums. But the policies don't have to cover existing medical conditions and offer limited benefits. It's not certain if…

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER , AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is studying the idea of implementing a big tax break for wealthy Americans by reducing the taxes levied on capital gains, but no decision has been made yet on whether to proceed. Administration officials said Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin prefers…