In The News

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden assured a bipartisan meeting of governors Monday that when it comes to responding to outbreaks of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, the federal government will do everything it can to support state and local... Read More

PHILADELPHIA — A 19-year-old Wilmington, Delaware, man has been charged in connection with the armed carjacking of Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon last week. Josiah Brown was one of five individuals who were apprehended in Scanlon’s 2017 Acura MDX hours after... Read More

WASHINGTON — Americans routinely tell pollsters they don’t like much of what goes on in the nation’s capital, but evidently they do like one leader a lot – Chief Justice John Roberts. According to a poll conducted by the Gallup... Read More

WASHINGTON — The fee to apply for or renew a passport got a bit steeper Monday, rising $20 for all customers, the State Department said. In a tweet on its Travel-State Dept. Twitter feed, the department said the increase is... Read More

PURCHASE, N.Y. — Holiday retail sales, excluding automotive, increased 8.5% year-over-year this holiday season, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Mastercard SpendingPulse measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. It defines the “holiday season” as the period running... Read More

BRUSSELS (AP) — After struggling with the coronavirus for far too long, the world understands all too well Belgium's word of the year, “knaldrang!” — the urge to party, the need to let loose. Yet as New Year celebrations approach,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is lifting travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the omicron variant. “On Dec. 31, @POTUS will lift the temporary travel restrictions on Southern Africa countries. This decision was... Read More

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jurors on Thursday convicted a suburban Minneapolis police officer of two manslaughter charges in the killing of Daunte Wright, a Black motorist she shot during a traffic stop after she said she confused her gun for her... Read More

NEW YORK — Revelers hoping to ring in 2022 in New York City’s iconic Times Square are going to have to wear face masks, practice social distancing and show proof of being fully vaccinated along with a photo ID, the... Read More

WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Wednesday that the city will soon require those who want to patronize bars and restaurants or attend indoor gatherings to show proof of coronavirus vaccination to be admitted. During a weekly update on... Read More

CHARLESTON, S.C. — There was a minor COVID outbreak among attendees of a State Democratic Committee event held in downtown Charleston earlier this month. The event, co-hosted by the Association of State Democratic Committees and the Democratic National Committee featured... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump turned to the Supreme Court Thursday in a last-ditch effort to keep documents away from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol led by his supporters. Trump's attorneys asked... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court announced Wednesday night that it will hold a special hearing in January to consider the constitutionality of vaccine mandates imposed by the Biden administration. Both of the cases the justices will hear on Friday, Jan.... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is awarding more than $241 million in grants to bolster U.S. ports, part of the Biden administration's near-term plan to address America's clogged supply chain with infrastructure improvements to speed the flow of goods. The transportation money... Read More

BEIJING (AP) — China plunged a city of 13 million people into lockdown on Thursday to stamp out an increase in coronavirus infections, as the country doubles down on its “zero tolerance” policy just weeks before it is set to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health regulators on Wednesday authorized the first pill against COVID-19, a Pfizer drug that Americans will be able to take at home to head off the worst effects of the virus. The long-awaited milestone comes as... Read More

TRENTON, N.J. — With a tiebreaking vote by a former state Supreme Court justice, the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission on Wednesday approved a new congressional district map seen as favoring the state’s Democrats. In the end, former Supreme Court... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Wednesday extended a freeze on student loan repayments to May 1. Borrowers’ payments were to resume in February. The so-called administrative forbearance was initially put in place as part of the CARES Act in... Read More

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci visited the National Press Club on Tuesday using its final virtual newsmaker event of the year to urge Americans to get a booster shot ahead of the holidays. “Our booster vaccine regimens work,” said Fauci,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Brookings Institution recently held an event with experts discussing the growing hostility of education politics due to COVID-19 induced school closures, mask and vaccine mandates and how to protect the wellness of students in the new year. ... Read More

WASHINGTON — A record 13.6 million Americans have already signed up for health coverage on the Affordable Care Act insurance marketplaces with a month left to go in the open enrollment period, the Department of Health and Human Services said... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit recently dissolved the stay of the emergency temporary standard mandating all businesses with 100 or more employees require staff to get fully vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.  “OSHA is... Read More

NEW YORK — Despite concerns over well-publicized supply chain bottlenecks and a surging omicron variant of the coronavirus, consumer confidence grew in December, The Conference Board reported Wednesday. The not-for-profit, non-advocacy think tank said its proprietary Consumer Confidence Index now... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden appears determined to return to the negotiating table with Sen. Joe Manchin, the holdout Democrat who effectively tanked the party's signature $2 trillion domestic policy initiative with his own jarring year-end announcement. Biden, responding... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — After a wearying nearly two years of the pandemic, independent retailers are cautiously hoping their holiday seasons will be bright, despite the challenges this year ranging from supply chain snags to shortages of hot holiday items.... Read More

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa's noticeable drop in new COVID-19 cases in recent days may signal that the country's dramatic omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, medical experts say. Daily virus case counts are notoriously unreliable, as they can be... Read More

WASHINGTON — As states across the country prepare for a continued surge in cases of the omicron variant, a coalition of independent restaurant owners is urging Congress to replenish an emergency relief fund for their industry. According to the Independent... Read More

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued its first public safety alert in six years in an attempt to stop the sale of deadly, fake fentanyl pills being sold on social media and e-commerce platforms.  “The amount of fentanyl... Read More

HARTFORD, Conn. — On Dec. 1, Connecticut began accepting applications from residents who want to participate in the state’s new paid family and medical leave program. Claims are being accepted for qualifying events that are happening on or after Jan.... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new congressional district map approved by California’s independent redistricting commission late Monday night appears to favor Democrats while making it slightly harder for Republican incumbents to get reelected. "We have reached the finish line for the... Read More