Fires burning at ‘full tilt’ across the Western US stretch resources
It took only a week for the Park fire north of Sacramento to grow into the fifth-largest in California history, signaling the potential for a destructive wildfire season across much of the western United States. Almost 50 other large or notable fires were burning throughout the region Wednesday, according to a New York Times tracker.
Why are so many Americans choosing to not have children?
For years, some conservatives have framed the declining fertility rate of the United States as an example of eroding family values, a moral catastrophe in slow motion.
Accused Sept. 11 plotters agree to plead guilty at Guantánamo Bay
GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba — The man accused of plotting the attacks of Sept. 11 and two of his accomplices have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and murder charges in exchange for a life sentence rather than a death-penalty trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Trump questions Harris’ racial identity, saying she only ‘became Black’ recently
CHICAGO — Former President Donald Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris’ identity as a Black woman on Wednesday in front of an audience of Black journalists, suggesting his opponent for the presidency had adopted her racial profile as a political “turn.”
Project 2025 director steps down amid Trump criticism
The director of Project 2025, the right-wing policy blueprint and personnel project prepared for the next Republican president that became a political cudgel used by Democrats, is departing after the effort drew criticism from former President Donald Trump.
Acting head of Secret Service ‘ashamed’ that roof at Trump rally was unwatched
WASHINGTON — The acting Secret Service director told senators Tuesday that the agency failed on July 13 by not having a countersniper focused on the roof where a would-be assassin fired eight shots at former President Donald Trump, injuring him and others and killing a rally attendee.
Trump agrees to be interviewed by FBI in its investigation into shooter
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has agreed to be interviewed by the FBI as part of its investigation into the motives of the 20-year-old man who tried to assassinate him during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, bureau officials and Trump said Monday.
Harris, rallying thousands in Georgia, challenges Trump to ‘Say it to my face’
ATLANTA — Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night challenged former President Donald Trump to commit to a presidential debate during a raucous rally in Atlanta that featured some 10,000 attendees, celebrity appearances and another rare feature of Democrats’ rallies lately: fun.
Japan wanted higher inflation. Now it’s here, and it hurts
TOKYO — As the rest of the world fought to keep inflation in check, one country welcomed it with open arms.
In the 1,500, there’s Katie Ledecky and then there’s everyone else
NANTERRE, France — The last time that Katie Ledecky was beaten in a 1,500-meter freestyle event was a regional swim meet in Maryland 14 years ago.
Belichick isn’t back, he’s everywhere
Bill Belichick landed his first NFL coaching gig in 1975 as a special assistant on Ted Marchibroda’s Baltimore Colts. To put that in perspective, it was so long ago that 48-year-old George Blanda was still playing in the NFL. It was so long ago that Robert Kraft was a little-known part owner of the Boston Lobsters in World Team Tennis. It was so long ago that most NFL fans under age 50 have no memory of the Colts being based in Baltimore.
Displaced by Park fire, some wonder if they’ll have a home to return to
CHICO, Calif. — Paul Mozzino was working an afternoon shift at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Chico, California, last week when he heard a chorus of phones pinging simultaneously with alerts about a nearby wildfire.
FDA approves blood test for colon cancer detection
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a new screening test for colorectal cancer. It requires only a sample of blood and can find cancers when they are early stage and usually curable.
‘Ready, steady, slow’: Championship snail racing at 0.006 mph
For the next few weeks, Paris will be home to many of the world’s impressive athletes, including some of the fastest human beings on the planet. Among the competitors gathering for the Olympic Games are runners who can knock out a marathon in just over two hours, 1 mile in under four minutes and 100 meters in less than 10 seconds.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ reverses Marvel’s box office slump
Marvel Studios, trying to move past a pair of box office humiliations, deployed two of its most popular characters over the weekend and hit a mother lode.
Warning of ‘extreme’ agenda, Biden calls for Supreme court overhaul
AUSTIN, Texas — President Joe Biden, warning that the country’s courts were being weaponized as part of an “extreme and unchecked” conservative agenda, said Monday that he would push for legislation that would bring major changes to the Supreme Court, including term limits and an enforceable code of ethics on the justices.
‘We feel stuck’: Child care needs limit women’s workforce gains
Jessica Cuevas loved her job as a college counselor at a high school. But after giving birth to a son in January 2021, she switched to a remote corporate job at a grocery store chain because it gave her more flexibility and saved her commuting time. After her second son was born two years later, she quit that job, too.
A blood test accurately diagnosed Alzheimer’s 90% of the time, study finds
Scientists have made another major stride toward the long-sought goal of diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease with a simple blood test. On Sunday, a team of researchers reported that a blood test was significantly more accurate than doctors’ interpretation of cognitive tests and CT scans in signaling the condition.
As F-16s arrive, Ukraine still faces steep challenges in the skies
MYRHOROD, Ukraine — The surveillance drone appeared high above the Ukrainian air base without warning in early July. Minutes after it relayed targeting data back to a Russian base, a barrage of ballistic missiles struck the airfield, Ukrainian officials said, recounting the episode.
‘Maybe I’ve gotten worse’: Trump makes clear that unity is over
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Early in his speech in Minnesota on Saturday night, former President Donald Trump made clear just how quickly he has jettisoned the appeal for national unity that he made after he survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania two weeks ago.
