AP National News

By The Associated Press In a harsh warning, President Vladimir Putin declared that he won’t hesitate to use nuclear weapons to protect Russian territory, a threat that comes as Moscow is poised to annex swaths of Ukraine that Moscow has taken over after hastily called referendums there. While the West has heard such rhetoric from

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks bounced around and bond yields snapped higher Wednesday after the Federal Reserve made its third big interest rate hike in a row and sharply increased its outlook for how high it expects to raise rates in coming months. Treasury yields pushed further into multiyear

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Intensifying its fight against high inflation, the Federal Reserve raised its key interest rate by a substantial three-quarters of a point for a third straight time and signaled more large rate hikes to come — an aggressive pace that will heighten the risk of an eventual

By JAY REEVES Associated Press BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Two U.S. military veterans who disappeared while fighting Russia with Ukrainian forces have been released after about three months in captivity, relatives said Wednesday. Alex Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27, went missing in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine near the Russian border June 9.

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press CAGUAS, Puerto Rico (AP) — More than half a million people in Puerto Rico remained without water service on Wednesday — three days after after Hurricane Fiona slammed into the U.S. territory — sending many to line up for hours to fill jugs from water trucks and others to scoop

By HARM VENHUIZEN Associated Press/Report for America MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Election Commission has initiated the process of reviewing its rules for election observers, an issue that’s drawn attention and concern as Democrats and Republicans alike aggressively recruit partisan watchers to ensure election workers adhere to the law this November. Commissioners voted 5-1

By JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An independent commission in Ohio has canceled a pair of debates in the state’s governor’s and U.S. Senate races because the Republican candidates declined to participate. The Ohio Debate Commission expressed disappointment on Wednesday that neither Republican Gov. Mike DeWine nor Senate nominee JD Vance

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — There are few places in the U.S. with a more deeply ingrained reputation as a refuge for immigrants than New York City, where the Statue of Liberty rises from the harbor as a symbol of welcome for the worn and weary. But for Mayor Eric

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer Robert Sarver says he has started the process of selling the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, a move that comes only eight days after he was suspended by the NBA over workplace misconduct including racist speech and hostile behavior toward employees. Sarver made the announcement Wednesday, saying selling “is

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer Stocks rose in afternoon trading on Wall Street Wednesday ahead of a widely expected interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 rose 0.6% as of 12:50 p.m. Eastern. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 147 points, or 0.5%, to 30,851 and the Nasdaq rose 0.6%.

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Large numbers of Russians have rushed to book one-way tickets out of the country after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of military reservists for the war in Ukraine. Flights filled up quickly and the prices of tickets for remaining connections sky-rocketed on Wednesday,

By AYA BATRAWY Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran’s president insisted Wednesday that his country is serious about reviving a deal meant to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear bomb but questioned whether Tehran could trust America’s commitment to any eventual accord. The U.S. had already “trampled” on a previous deal, President Ebrahim Raisi

In a Sept. 19 story about parole in Wisconsin, The Associated Press erroneously reported that discretionary paroles for a person sentenced to life in prison were not possible if the person’s crime was committed before 2000. In general, such inmates can be eligible for parole unless a judge imposed a sentence of life without parole.

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Joe Biden declared at the United Nations on Wednesday that Russia has “shamelessly violated the core tenets” of the international body with its war in Ukraine as he summoned nations around the globe to stand firm in backing the Ukrainian resistance. Delivering

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME Associated Press JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has an urgent meeting scheduled with his Cabinet to discuss an electricity crisis which has led to unprecedented levels of nationwide power blackouts. The troubled state-owned power utility Eskom is implementing scheduled, rolling blackouts in an attempt to save electricity while struggling

By MIKE SILVERMAN Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Opera opens its new season Tuesday with its first production of “Medea,” a version of the classic Greek tale of a sorceress who murders her children after her lover chooses another woman. Sondra Radvanovsky, who has more than 200 Met performances to her credit,

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed in August for the seventh month in a row, as sharply higher mortgage rates and rising home prices made homebuying less affordable. The National Association of Realtors said Wednesday that existing home sales fell 0.4% last month from July to a seasonally

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine and a fishing group are appealing a federal judge’s decision that new rules intended to protect endangered whales must stand. The judge earlier this month denied a request from fishermen to stop federal regulators from placing the new restrictions on lobster fishing. The rules are intended to