Families of fentanyl victims ask U.S. for China tariffs over opioid crisis
A group of families whose loved ones died of fentanyl overdoses filed a petition with the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Thursday, requesting a probe into China’s alleged role in fueling the U.S. synthetic opioid crisis.
Youth tobacco use drops to 25-year low, CDC survey concludes
WASHINGTON — The rate of youth tobacco use has dropped to its lowest levels in 25 years, new data from the 2024 National Youth Tobacco Survey revealed.
Early voting begins in storm-ravaged North Carolina
Polls opened for early voting on Thursday in North Carolina — a critical battleground in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election — just weeks after Hurricane Helene left some residents still without power, running water or phone service.
Global coral bleaching event expands, now the largest on record
The mass bleaching of coral reefs around the world since February 2023 is now the most extensive on record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) told Reuters this week.
White House, used to road blocks on student debt, finds cause for victory lap
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration has reached a major milestone in its pursuit of expansive student debt relief, announcing Thursday that over 1 million people have had their federal student debt canceled through a program that offers forgiveness to public service workers.
Suspected teen school shooter and his father indicted by Georgia grand jury
A grand jury indicted a 14-year-old alleged shooter and his father who bought him the gun on Thursday in the September slaying of two students and two teachers at a Georgia high school, affirming initial charges brought by prosecutors and adding numerous other criminal counts.
EU, NATO pledge Zelenskiy support but reticent on Ukraine ‘victory plan’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pitched his “victory plan” to the European Union and NATO on Thursday, receiving pledges of continued support but no endorsement from key allies of his call for an immediate NATO-membership invitation.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un says South Korea is a foreign, hostile country, KCNA says
SEOUL (Reuters) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said South Korea is a foreign and hostile country, state media KCNA said on Friday.
FCC requires 988 calls be routed to local call centers
WASHINGTON — 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be routed by wireless carriers to local call centers.
Trump blames Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for starting war with Russia
Donald Trump on Thursday blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for helping start that nation’s war with Russia, a comment that further suggests Trump is likely to radically shift U.S. policy toward Ukraine if he wins the Nov. 5 election.
Hamas leader committed to eradicating Israel is dead
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar remained unrepentant about the Oct. 7 attacks despite unleashing an Israeli invasion that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, laid waste to his Gaza homeland and rained destruction on ally Hezbollah, people in contact with him have said.
Yellen warns sweeping tariffs would ignite inflation
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned in a speech Thursday that the economic policies being proposed by former President Donald Trump would fuel inflation and harm businesses, raising alarm about the risks of blanket tariffs.
JD Vance says Trump did not lose the 2020 US election
After dodging the issue for weeks, Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance said unequivocally on Wednesday he believes false claims that Donald Trump did not lose the 2020 election.
Dietary guidelines become mired in war over alcohol safety
Lawmakers and industry players are asking the Department of Health and Human Services to put a stop to a controversial study on alcohol and health that could inform the next round of U.S. nutrition recommendations.
Trump likely to challenge any election loss. His options have narrowed
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says that if he does not win the Nov. 5 election, he will cry fraud and not accept the results — just as he did four years ago when he lost to Democratic President Joe Biden.
Harris betting that Republican voters will help her win against Trump
Kamala Harris is intensifying efforts to persuade Republicans to cross the aisle and back her campaign in a bid to expand her electoral appeal with less than three weeks to Election Day.
FTC takes on subscription traps with ‘click to cancel’ rule
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission adopted a final rule on Wednesday requiring businesses to make it as easy to cancel subscriptions and memberships as it is to sign up, in the agency’s last major rulemaking before the Nov. 5 election.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy to pitch ‘victory plan’ to EU, NATO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy takes his “victory plan” to the European Union and NATO on Thursday, pitching for a NATO membership invitation and a major increase in military support for Kyiv’s campaign against Russia’s invasion.
How pervasive are microplastics? Dolphins are exhaling them.
Scientists have found plastic pollution almost everywhere they have looked. In clouds. On Mount Everest. In Arctic snow.
Harris grilled on Fox News on immigration, Biden’s fitness for office
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris was grilled in a TV interview on Wednesday on the Biden administration’s efforts to tackle a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border, and laid the blame on Republicans for failing to pass a border bill.
