Rome — U.S. Cardinal Sean O’Malley, known for championing survivors of sexual abuse and pushing the Catholic Church to reform, is stepping down as the Archbishop of Boston, the Vatican announced Monday. The 80-year-old will be replaced by Richard Henning, the 59-year-old bishop of Providence, to helm the fourth-largest diocese in the United States, the Vatican said in a statement. It did not give …
Simone Biles finishes off her return to the Olympics with a silver on floor exercise
Paris — American gymnast Simone Biles didn’t get the golden sendoff she hoped. Biles earned silver in the floor exercise finals on Monday — her 11th Olympic medal — after a routine that included a couple of costly steps out of bounds. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade became the first gymnast to beat Biles in a floor final in a major international competition, posting a score of 14.166 …
Hurricane Debby to bring heavy rain, catastrophic flooding to Florida, Georgia, S. Carolina
TAMPA, FLORIDA — The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday bringing potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly across the northern part of the state before stalling over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina. Debby was located about 40 miles (70 kilometers) west of Cedar Key, Florida, with …
Cooler weather helps firefighters corral a third of big California blaze
CHICO, California — Fire crews battling California’s largest wildfire this year have corralled a third of the blaze aided in part by cooler weather, but a return of triple-digit temperatures could allow it to grow, fire officials said Sunday. Cooler temperatures and increased humidity gave firefighters “a great opportunity to make some good advances” on the fire in the Sierra Nevada foothills, said Chris Vestal, a …
Americans ‘whacked’ by too many laws, regulations, says Justice Gorsuch’s book
Washington — Ordinary Americans are “getting whacked” by too many laws and regulations, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch says in a new book that underscores his skepticism of federal agencies and the power they wield. “Too little law and we’re not safe, and our liberties aren’t protected,” Gorsuch told The Associated Press in an interview in his Supreme Court office. “But too much law and you …
In win for Mexico, US will expand areas for migrants to apply online for entry at southern border
Mexico City — The Biden administration will expand areas where migrants can apply online for appointments to enter the United States to a large swath of southern Mexico, officials said Saturday, potentially easing strains on the Mexican government and lessening dangers for people trying to reach the U.S. border to claim asylum. Migrants will be able to schedule appointments on the CBP One app from the …
Wall Street week ahead – Flaring economic worries threaten US stocks rally
New York — Economic fears are roiling Wall Street, as worries grow that the Federal Reserve may have left interest rates elevated for too long, allowing them to hurt U.S. growth. Alarming economic data in recent days have deepened those concerns. U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in July, a Friday report showed, while the unemployment rate increased to 4.3%, heightening fears that a deteriorating …
‘We’re going to survive and it’s going to come back’: A year after Maui wildfire, survivors press on
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Tribes wait to get items back, 6 months after museums shut Native exhibits
NEW YORK — Tucked within the expansive Native American halls of the American Museum of Natural History is a diminutive wooden doll that holds a sacred place among the tribes whose territories once included Manhattan. For more than six months now, the ceremonial Ohtas, or Doll Being, has been hidden from view after the museum and others nationally took dramatic steps to board up or paper …
Harris campaign staffs up in battleground states, ‘Sun Belt’
WILMINGTON, Delaware — Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign is staffing up in battleground states over the next two weeks including in the ‘Sun Belt’ that increasingly looked out of reach for President Joe Biden, citing momentum for her White House bid as grassroots engagement and fundraising soar. “Our grassroots engagement is proving that Kamala Harris is strong in both the Sun Belt and the Blue …
Katie Ledecky swims into Olympics history, winning 800 freestyle in Paris
NANTERRE, France — Every year on August 3, Katie Ledecky is reminded of her first Olympic gold medal. She was just 15 years old, a reserved high schooler who had surprisingly made the U.S. swim team for the London Games. Then she went out and shocked the world, beating everyone in the 800-meter freestyle. Twelve years to the day, Ledecky did it again. Not a stunner, …
Harris rejects Trump’s idea to debate her on FOX with live audience
reuters — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed to debate Democratic U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Fox News on September 4, and the Harris campaign said Trump is trying to back out of a debate that had been set to run on ABC. The rules would be similar to the first debate with President Joe Biden, who has since dropped his reelection bid, Trump said …
Trump, Vance head to Georgia after Harris event in same arena
ATLANTA, GEORGIA — Former President Donald Trump returns Saturday to Georgia, which he lost four years ago, to campaign in a state that Democrats and Republicans see as up for grabs yet again. Trump’s 5 p.m. event alongside his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, comes just days after Vice President Kamala Harris rallied thousands in the same basketball arena at Georgia State University in Atlanta. …
Aerosmith ends touring, citing permanent damage to singer’s voice
LOS ANGELES — Aerosmith says Steven Tyler’s voice has been permanently damaged by a vocal cord injury last year and the band will no longer tour. The iconic band behind hits such as “Love in an Elevator” and “Livin’ on the Edge” posted a statement Friday announcing the cancellation of remaining dates on its tour and provided an update on Tyler’s voice. “He has spent months …
As recruiting rebounds, US Army expands basic training for modern warfare
WASHINGTON — Buoyed by an increase in recruiting, the U.S. Army will expand its basic combat training in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars. The added training will begin in October and comes as the Army tries to reverse years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals. New units in …
Simone Biles raises gymnastics bar so high that 5 skills bear her name
paris — It is not enough — it has never been enough — for Simone Biles to do gymnastics. The 27-year-old American star has been intent almost from the start on pushing the sport in new directions by doing things that have never been done before. That could continue this week when she tries for her eighth Olympic medal in Paris. Five elements currently bear her …
Minority farmers set for $2 billion from USDA after years of discrimination
COLUMBIA, Missouri — The Biden administration has doled out more than $2 billion in direct payments for Black and other minority farmers discriminated against by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the president announced Wednesday. More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000, according to the USDA. Another 20,000 who planned to start a farm but did not receive a USDA loan …
Maui fire lawsuit parties reach $4B global settlement, court filings say
HONOLULU — The parties in lawsuits seeking damages for last year’s Maui wildfires have reached a $4 billion global settlement, a court filing said Friday, nearly one year after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The term sheet with details of the settlement is not publicly available, but the liaison attorneys filed a motion Friday saying the global settlement seeks to resolve all …
US colleges reembracing SAT as admissions requirement
The COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to administer the SAT exam to high school students worldwide. In response, US colleges and universities that required the exam for admissions made the test optional. Now, with the pandemic in the rearview mirror, a trend is growing in higher education to again require the SAT. VOA’s Robin Guess has the story. …
US pledges Israel will not stand alone if Iran attacks
washington — The United States is preparing to move troops and military capabilities to help defend Israel from a retaliatory strike by Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged the support during a call Friday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, though U.S. defense officials said a decision on which units and capabilities would be shifted had not yet been made. “The secretary reiterated ironclad support …