AP National News

JIM GOMEZ Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Chinese coast guard ships have blocked and used water cannons on two Philippine supply boats heading to a disputed shoal occupied by Filipino marines in the South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Thursday that the Philippine government was outraged and had protested to China

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The winner of this year’s National Book Award for fiction is Jason Mott’s “Hell of a Book.” It’s a surreal meta-narrative about an author’s book and his haunted past and present. The winner for nonfiction is Tiya Miles’ “All That She Carried: The Journey of

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX is aiming to launch its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship to orbit in January. That’s the latest from SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk. He provided the update Wednesday night during a space science conference held virtually. Musk isn’t betting on success for that

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is extending through May a timeline to decide how or whether to proceed with proposed restrictions on mining in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. The agency’s acting regional administrator says the extension will allow time to consider available information and determine the next steps, which

By AMY FORLITI and SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorneys for Kyle Rittenhouse have requested a mistrial based on several issues, including claims that prosecutors acted in bad faith and that the state gave them an inferior copy of video that may be a key piece of evidence in the case. The

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Visitors to the latest chic hotel to open in New York’s theater district can easily walk to any Broadway show — or they can stay inside and celebrate them. The Civilian — a 203-room hotel with bars, lounges and a bistro restaurant — is packed

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N.’s special representative for Afghanistan is warning that the country is “on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe” and its collapsing economy is heightening the risk of extremism. Deborah Lyons said Wednesday that the United Nations predicts that 60% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people

BEIJING (AP) — The head of the women’s professional tennis tour is questioning the legitimacy of a retraction Chinese state media says was from a Grand Slam doubles champion who has accused a former top government official of sexual assault. WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said that a statement attributed to Peng Shuai “only

BOSTON (AP) — An airman from Massachusetts who was shot down over Romania during World War II has been accounted for. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Charles G. McMackin was accounted for in August 2020. The announcement was not made until Wednesday because his family was only recently

By JOHN O’CONNOR AP Political Writer SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A report says the director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board was fired this fall after an investigation found that he improperly issued a law enforcement certificate to an unqualified local philanthropist who’s also the son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett. The

BY JACQUES BILLEAUD Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix officials agreed Wednesday to pay $5 million to settle a lawsuit over the January 2017 death of a Black man during an arrest attempt in which he cried out that he couldn’t breathe as officers held him down. The 7-2 vote by the City Council ends

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Maria Ressa says much still remains uncertain about her life one month after her historic Nobel Peace Prize win. The 58-year-old journalist was named the first Filipino to win the prestigious award. But she still faces jail time in the Philippines and is unsure when she’ll

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS Associated Press PARCHMAN, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi has executed a man who pleaded guilty to killing his estranged wife and terrorizing their family. Wednesday night’s lethal injection of 50-year-old David Neal Cox was the state’s first execution in nine years. Cox pleaded guilty in 2012 to the shooting death of his

By STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Search warrants have been unsealed in the investigation into South Dakota billionaire T. Denny Sanford. The search warrants show investigators looked into his email account in 2019. Law enforcement also sought search warrants on his cellular and internet service providers. The investigation into Sanford was

BUFFALO, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say remains found at a southwest Missouri home were those of a missing woman who was photographed partially nude inside a cage. Two men were charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the death of 33-year-old Cassidy Rainwater. James Phelps and Timothy Norton were arrested in September after authorities say photos

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans have approved a sweeping bill to hobble coronavirus vaccine mandates in businesses. They rejected claims they were sacrificing public health to hand Gov. Ron DeSantis a win in his fight against White House virus rules. The lawmakers in the GOP-controlled statehouse expedited the measure

By SARA CLINE Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officials in Oregon’s largest city have approved of an additional $5.2 million in police spending, including hiring more officers and buying body-worn cameras. A year ago, Portland’s police department underwent significant budget cuts amid demands to defund the police. The about- face Wednesday comes

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — An independent review has concluded that the Defense Department and its top leaders acted appropriately before and during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Some local and congressional leaders have asserted that the military did not respond quick enough as protesters breached the building.

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The massive infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed this week includes billions of dollars to address long-standing issues with water and sanitation on tribal land. The Indian Health Service says it will consult with tribes on how best to use the $3.5 billion. The amount

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Battery-powered vehicles will get top billing at the Los Angeles Auto Show opening this week after a year’s hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Subaru will unveil its first all-electric vehicle, a smallish SUV named the Solterra. VinFast is a Vietnamese automaker that plans to start selling in the U.S. next