National News

SALADO, Texas (AP) — Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that’s expected to spawn more twisters and damaging winds. The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in Salado, about 50 miles north of Austin. Bell County Judge David Blackburn, the county’s top elected official,…

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The mayor of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol says that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the Russian siege of his city and that the full death toll could surpass twice that number. Speaking by phone Monday to The Associated Press, Mayor Vadym Boychenko said corpses “carpeted” the streets…

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has launched three rich businessmen and their astronaut escort to the International Space Station for more than a week’s stay. It is SpaceX’s first private charter flight to the orbiting lab after two years of carrying astronauts there for NASA. The Falcon rocket blasted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space…

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Russia in retaliation for “war crimes” in Ukraine. The U.S. blocked two key Russian banks and also sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters. The United Kingdom piled on asset freezes Wednesday against two major Russian banks, a ban on British investment in…

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden called for a war crimes trial against Russian President Vladimir Putin and said he’d seek more sanctions after reported atrocities in Ukraine. Biden said Monday that Putin “is a war criminal." His comments to reporters came after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Bucha, one of the towns surrounding Kyiv…