Stories
China said to speed up move to more survivable nuclear force
WASHINGTON (AP) — China appears to be moving faster toward a capability to launch its newer nuclear missiles from underground silos, possibly to improve its ability to respond promptly to a nuclear attack, according to an American expert who analyzed satellite images of recent construction at a missile training area.
Othello 4-year-old dies in accidental shooting
A four-year-old died Sunday after his father allegedly accidentally shot him in the head Saturday.
Cuomo sorry for remarks aide 'misinterpreted' as harassment
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged for the first time Sunday that some of his behavior with women "may have been insensitive or too personal,” and said he would cooperate with a sexual harassment investigation led by the state’s attorney general.
House approves bill on limited licenses for foreign physicians
House Bill 1129, which passed in a 94-4 vote Wednesday, would permit the Washington Medical Commission to supply international medical graduates with limited licenses.
Schoesler’s bill on depreciation funds for school districts passes Senate
Senate Bill 5202 would require school districts to create a depreciation subfund in their general fund.
Moses Lake man allegedly caught with more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine
A Moses Lake man was booked into the Grant County Jail Tuesday for allegedly maintaining a drug house after the Moses Lake Police Department seized more than three pounds of drugs from his home.
AP FACT CHECK: Trump clings to his core election falsehoods
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump clung to his core election falsehoods in his first post-presidential speech, wrongly blamed wind power for the catastrophic power failures in Texas and revived a variety of the baseless claims that saturated his time in office, on immigration, the economy and more.
Trump calls for GOP unity, repeats lies about election loss
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump called for GOP unity, even as he exacerbated intraparty divisions by attacking fellow Republicans and promoting lies about the election in a speech that made clear he intends to remain a dominant political force.
NY Gov. Cuomo acknowledges behavior seen as 'flirtation'
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged for the first time Sunday that some of his behavior with women "may have been insensitive or too personal,” and said he would cooperate with a sexual harassment investigation led by the state’s attorney general.
The Latest: First US J&J vaccine doses shipping Sunday night
WASHINGTON — Nearly 4 million doses of the newest COVID-19 vaccine will be shipped Sunday night, and will begin to be delivered to states for injections starting on Tuesday.
Cuomo acknowledges behavior seen as 'flirtation'
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged for the first time Sunday that some of his behavior with women had been “misinterpreted as unwanted flirtation,” and said he would cooperate with a sexual harassment investigation led by the state's attorney general.
Trump calls for GOP unity, says he won't start another party
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Donald Trump on Sunday called for Republican Party unity in a speech at a conservative political conference, even as he exacerbated its divisions and made clear he intended to remain a dominant force in the party.
US still open to Iran nuclear talks after Iran's rejection
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Sunday it remains open to talks with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal despite Tehran’s rejection of an EU invitation to join a meeting with the U.S. and the other original participants in the agreement.
Crisis deepens for Cuomo; AG wants to lead harassment probe
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The crisis enveloping Gov. Andrew Cuomo deepened Sunday as the state’s attorney general demanded he grant her the authority to investigate claims he sexually harassed at least two women who worked for him.
The Latest: US panel endorses 3rd vaccine option from J&J
WASHINGTON — A U.S. advisory panel has endorsed the new one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson as a third option to bolster the national effort against the coronavirus pandemic.
The Latest: Utah cancels vaccine dates for thousands
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is canceling about 7,200 coronavirus vaccine appointments after an error in the state health department’s registration website allowed people without qualifying conditions to register for the shots.
Cuomo asks state AG, top judge, to launch harassment probe
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has asked the state's attorney general and chief appeals court judge to jointly appoint an independent lawyer to investigate claims he sexually harassed at least two women who worked for him.
Fraud overwhelms pandemic-related unemployment programs
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — With the floodgates set to open on another round of unemployment aid, states are being hammered with a new wave of fraud as they scramble to update security systems and block scammers who already have siphoned billions of dollars from pandemic-related jobless programs.
Some GOP state lawmakers help spread COVID-19 misinformation
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Many Republican lawmakers have criticized governors’ emergency restrictions since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. Now that most legislatures are back in session, a new type of pushback is taking root: misinformation.
The Latest: Brazil's capital returns to COVID-19 lockdown
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s capital has entered a two-week lockdown, joining several states in adopting measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as intensive care beds begin to fill in some important cities.
Trump set to return to the spotlight with CPAC speech
ORLANDO (AP) — Less than six weeks after leaving office, former President Donald Trump will deliver the closing speech at a conservative conference Sunday as he reasserts himself on the national stage and makes clear he intends to remain a dominant force within the Republican Party.
The Latest: Italy's Sardinia to open up as infections fall
ROME — While new COVID-19 cases surge in Italy's north, the island of Sardinia has earned coveted ‘’white zone’’ status, allowing for evening dining and drinking at restaurants and cafes and the reopening after months of closure of gyms, cinemas and theaters.
Biden administration promises focus on environmental justice
When President Joe Biden made environmental protection a
The Latest: Iran hits 60,000 virus deaths; bans 32 nations
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has surpassed 60,000 known coronavirus-related deaths, the latest grim milestone for the hardest-hit country in the Middle East.
US is 'gravely concerned' by reports of abuses in Ethiopia
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The United States is “gravely concerned by reported atrocities and the overall deteriorating situation” in Ethiopia's Tigray region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the toughest statement yet from Washington on Ethiopia's ongoing conflict.
Supreme Court could put new limits on voting rights lawsuits
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight years after
Biden team readies wider economic package after virus relief
WASHINGTON (AP) — Looking beyond the $1.9 trillion
The Latest: All UK children to get free COVID-19 test kits
LONDON — Britain’s government says families with children in school will be provided with free coronavirus home test kits as part of plans for schools to reopen beginning on March 8.
The Latest: Thailand begins COVID-19 vaccinations
BANGKOK — Thailand started its first vaccinations Sunday with 200 public health officials receiving the Sinovac vaccine from China.
Mortgage broker says it's still a good time to buy
MOSES LAKE — Even as bankers, brokers and lenders are whispering that interest rates may rise sometime this year, it’s still a good time to buy a house.
City of Quincy Building permits for Feb. 28, 2021
Feb. 4-25
White House climate czar to AP: Texas storm 'a wake-up call'
WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly winter storm that caused
Native American nominee's grilling raises questions on bias
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — When Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso snapped at Deb Haaland during her confirmation hearing, many in Indian Country were incensed.
House votes to expand legal safeguards for LGBTQ people
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led House passed a bill Thursday that would enshrine LGBTQ protections in the nation's labor and civil rights laws, a top priority of President Joe Biden, though the legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate.
Republicans test history in vote against pandemic relief
NEW YORK (AP) — With the nation's financial system on the brink of collapse, all but three Republicans voted against the massive stimulus package designed to protect millions of Americans from financial ruin.
House passes $1.9T pandemic bill on near party-line vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House approved
The Latest: Navajo Nation new virus cases on downward trend
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. -- The Navajo Nation has continued on a downward trend in the number of daily coronavirus cases.
Italy honors slain ambassador, bodyguard and prays for Congo
ROME (AP) — Italy paid tribute Thursday to its ambassador to Congo and his bodyguard who were killed in an attack on a U.N. convoy, honoring them with a state funeral and prayers for peace in Congo and all nations “torn by war and violence.”
Senate approves open carry ban at Capitol, permitted rallies
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Openly carrying guns and other weapons on the Capitol campus and at or near permitted public demonstrations across Washington would be prohibited under a measure approved by the state Senate Thursday.
Boeing will pay $6.6 million to settle FAA allegations
Federal regulators have imposed $5.4 million in civil penalties against Boeing for violating terms of a $12 million settlement in 2015, and the aircraft maker has agreed to pay another $1.21 million to settle two current enforcement cases.
AP PHOTOS: Turkish vaccine teams target isolated villages
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Traveling across roads covered with ice and snow, vaccination teams have been going to Turkey's isolated mountain villages as the government seeks to inoculate 60% of the country's people against coronavirus over the next three months.
Southern exposure: Cold wreaks havoc on aging waterworks
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The sunshine is back, and the ice has melted. But more than a week after a deep freeze across the South, many communities are still grappling with getting clean water to their residents.
Pandemic leaves tribes without US recognition at higher risk
Rachel Lynne Cushman is used to getting calls from Chinook Nation members worried about losing housing or having their power shut off. Since COVID-19 hit, they come in daily.
EXPLAINER: How US airstrike in Syria sends message to Iran
BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S.
Airline CEOs, Biden officials consider green-fuel breaks
Chief executives of the nation's largest passenger and cargo airlines met with key Biden administration officials Friday to talk about reducing emissions from airplanes and push incentives for lower-carbon aviation fuels.
Some local GOP leaders fire up base with conspiracies, lies
A faction of local, county and state Republican officials is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories that echo those that helped inspire the violent U.S. Capitol siege, online messaging that is spreading quickly through GOP ranks fueled by algorithms that boost extreme content.
Biden surveys Texas weather damage, encourages virus shots
HOUSTON (AP) — President Joe Biden heard firsthand from Texans clobbered by this month's brutal winter weather on Friday and pledged to stick with them “for the long haul” as he made his first trip to a major disaster area since he took office.
Once the mainstream model, Michigan GOP embraces right wing
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Josh Venable, a longtime Michigan GOP operative and chief of staff to former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, can trace the arc of the state's Republican Party clearly.
Oregon Senate hit by another GOP boycott, now over COVID-19
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Republicans in the Oregon Senate boycotted Thursday's session, using a tactic they have employed in the past two years to assert their will by stopping work in the Democratic-led Legislature — this time over the state's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
EXPLAINER: What were the warnings before the Capitol riot?
Capitol Police leadership had plenty of intelligence warning that armed extremists were planning to target the Capitol over President Donald Trump’s election loss, according to new testimony Thursday. But their rank-and-file officers were still left exposed against armed rioters who came within steps of lawmakers.
Rep. Herrera Beutler censured over Trump impeachment vote
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Members of Washington's Clark County Republican party voted this week to formally censure Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, of Battle Ground, over her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
Chief: Police heeded Capitol attack warnings but overwhelmed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers pressed the acting U.S. Capitol Police chief Thursday to explain why the force wasn't prepared to fend off a violent mob of insurrectionists even though officials had compiled specific, compelling intelligence that extremists were likely to attack Congress and try to halt the certification of Donald Trump's election loss.
Yellen's encore: Lending economic heft to Biden's virus plan
WASHINGTON (AP) — On a cold, gray February afternoon, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stepped out of the West Wing wrapped in a puffy black parka and clutching a folder of documents, seemingly oblivious to the Washington custom of having an aide schlep the paperwork.
Biden: Strikes in Syria sent warning to Iran to 'be careful'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that Iran should view his decision to authorize U.S. airstrikes in Syria as a warning that it can expect consequences for its support of militia groups that threaten U.S. interests or personnel.
Things to Know: US Hospitalizations plunge, but still high
Here’s what’s happening Thursday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:
Ties with Saudis at stake as US releases findings on killing
The United States has pledged to tell the world its conclusions on what role Saudi Arabia's crown prince played in the brutal killing and dismembering of a U.S.-based journalist, but as important is what comes next — what the Biden administration plans to do about it.
Conservative gathering to feature Trump's false fraud claims
WASHINGTON (AP) — A gathering of conservatives this weekend in Florida will serve as an unabashed endorsement of former President Donald Trump's desire to remain the leader of the Republican Party — and as a forum to fan his false claim that he lost the November election only because of widespread voter fraud.
Washington state justices strike down drug possession law
SEATTLE (AP) — In a decision with implications for tens of thousands of cases dating back decades, the Washington Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the state’s felony drug possession law because — unlike the laws of every other state — it did not require prosecutors to prove someone knowingly or intentionally possessed drugs.
What's in an adjective? 'Democrat Party' label on the rise
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two days before the assault on the U.S. Capitol, Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican, said supporters of then-President Donald Trump's claims of election fraud were basically in a “death match with the Democrat Party.”
Democratic-led House makes conservation push with lands bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Friday that would create about 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and incorporate nearly 1,200 miles of waterways into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System as Democrats move to protect more public lands — with President Joe Biden's blessing.
Could pandemic further erode the New England town meeting?
MIDDLESEX, Vt. (AP) — The town meeting, for centuries, was a staple of New England life — but the coronavirus pandemic could accelerate the departure from the tradition where people gather to debate everything from the purchase of local road equipment to multimillion-dollar budgets to pressing social issues.
Alaska university regents give teams more time to fundraise
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The University of Alaska Board of Regents will give the hockey and gymnastics teams on the Anchorage campus the opportunity to save their programs through additional fundraising.
Utah bill banning trans athletes in girls sports stalls
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A proposal to ban transgender athletes from playing on girls sports teams is stalling in Utah, one of more than 20 states considering similar measures that opponents say would harm transgender teenagers.
Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump call urges patience
ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia prosecutor investigating potential efforts by Donald Trump and others to influence last year's general election has a message for people who are eager to see whether the former president will be charged: Be patient.
Trump the dominant force at conservative conference
WASHINGTON (AP) — A conference dedicated to the future of the conservative movement turned into an ode to Donald Trump as speakers declared their fealty to the former president and attendees posed for selfies with a golden statue of his likeness.
The Latest: Governor extends Oregon's state of emergency
SALEM, Ore. - Gov. Kate Brown on Thursday extended Oregon’s declaration of a state of emergency until May 2 as confirmed COVID-19 cases drop but hundreds of new cases continue to be reported daily.
Defense head Austin weighs warship needs in Pacific, Mideast
ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. But as he made his first aircraft carrier visit as Pentagon chief, he acknowledged the demand for American warships around the globe as he wrestles with security threats from China in the Pacific and Iran in the Middle East.
At pivotal moment in Afghanistan war, Biden weighs a dilemma
WASHINGTON (AP) — America's
Highlights of the COVID-19 relief bill advancing in Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package early Saturday, 219-212, that includes $1,400 checks for most Americans and billions of dollars for schools, state and local governments and businesses.
Analysis: Biden ambitions run into reality of Senate's rules
WASHINGTON (AP) — The early ambitions of Joe Biden's presidency are quickly running into the guardrails of archaic Senate rules, testing his willingness to remake an institution he reveres to fulfill many of the promises he has made to Americans.
'Blame Trump' defense in Capitol riot looks like a long shot
The “Trump-made-me-do-it” defense is already looking like a longshot.
The Latest: U.S. FDA approves J&J single-shot vaccine
WASHINGTON — The U.S. now has a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19.
Biden hails House passage of $1.9T virus bill, now to Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill that was championed by President Joe Biden, the first step in providing another dose of aid to a weary nation as the measure now moves to a tense Senate.
J&J’s 1-dose shot cleared, giving US 3rd COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
US implicates Saudi crown prince in Khashoggi's killing
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia's crown prince likely approved the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday that instantly ratcheted up pressure on the Biden administration to hold the kingdom accountable for a murder that drew worldwide outrage.
Water near Arizona Air Force base is tainted in latest case
PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Air Force says it will be distributing bottled water to thousands of residents and business owners near its base in suburban Phoenix until at least April, marking the latest case of chemicals from military firefighting efforts contaminating the water supply in a nearby community.
COVID-19 bill must drop minimum wage hike, arbiter decides
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate parliamentarian dealt a potentially lethal blow Thursday to Democrats’ drive to hike the minimum wage, deciding that the cherished progressive goal must fall from a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill the party is trying to speed through Congress, Senate Democratic aides said.
Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it.
AP sources: Feds pinpoint suspect in officer's riot death
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators probing the death of a U.S. Capitol Police officer killed in the Jan. 6 riot have zeroed in on a suspect seen on video appearing to spray a chemical substance on the officer before he later collapsed and died, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
US bombs facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militia
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a U.S. service member and other coalition troops.
McConnell says he'd support Trump if he wins 2024 nomination
WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than a month after excoriating Donald Trump in a blistering floor speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that he would “absolutely” support the former president again if he secured the Republican nomination in 2024.
