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WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican firebrand known for his strong support of former President Donald Trump, said Wednesday that the Justice Department has ended a sex trafficking case with no charges against him. The conservative who represents much of the Florida Panhandle issued a statement through his congressional office that the long-running investigation was over. Gaetz had insisted throughout he was innocent of any wrongdoing. “The Department […]

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called Wednesday for making preschool available to every 3- and 4-year-old in the state within four years, starting with a $440 million investment to bring 5,000 additional children into the program this fall. Details about the “Smart Start Illinois” program dominated the fifth annual State of the State and budget address by the Democratic governor, who easily won reelection in November and […]

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: Feb. 13 The Washington Post on strange objects in the sky When President Biden gave the order Sunday for a fighter jet to shoot down an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron, aides said he did so out of an abundance of caution and on the recommendation of military commanders, amid concern it was floating at altitudes that might jeopardize […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that it expects the U.S. economy to stagnate this year with the unemployment rate jumping to 5.1% — a bleak outlook that was paired with a 10-year projection that publicly held U.S. debt would nearly double to $46.4 trillion in 2033. The updated 10-year Budget and Economic Outlook outlined stark expectations for the coming year a s high interest rates and […]

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador’s congress has approved President Nayib Bukele’s request to extend the period of special powers for another month, meaning the country will go at least a full year with some fundamental rights suspended in fight against gangs. Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Villatoro said the state of exception would continue until the last gang member is captured. “The historic results achieved in security […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill has won final legislative approval in West Virginia that would establish an annual day of recognition for the worst sports disaster in U.S. history, a plane crash that killed most of Marshall University’s football team. On Nov. 14, 1970, the chartered jet crashed in fog and rain into a hillside upon approach to an airport near Huntington as the team was returning from a […]

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Republican Nikki Haley joined the 2024 race for president this week, becoming the first major rival to former President Donald Trump in a field that is expected to grow in coming months. Here are some things to know about the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations: ‘I WAS DIFFERENT’ Haley, 51, grew up in the small rural community of Bamberg, South […]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Newly filed legislation allowing illegal abortions to be prosecuted as homicides drew a quick pushback Wednesday from the state’s anti-abortion attorney general, who warned it would wrongly subject Kentucky women to charges for terminating pregnancies. Republican state Rep. Emily Callaway raised the stakes in the state’s bitter abortion debates when she introduced the measure Tuesday in a state where most abortions are currently banned. The freshman […]

GENEVA (AP) — Sweden emerging as the front-runner in a troubled search for a 2030 Olympics host is as much a surprise in Stockholm as elsewhere. The year started with Sweden not on the radar of a Winter Games race where longtime favorite Sapporo faded during a criminal investigation of alleged bribery linked to the recent Tokyo Olympics. Salt Lake City is targeting 2034. In Sweden, memories are also fresh […]