US seeks to bolster firefighter ranks as wildfires increase

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. wildfire managers are considering shifting to more full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a year-round wildfire season and making the jobs more attractive by increasing pay and benefits.

The Latest: South Africa resumes restrictions to fight surge

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has reintroduced tough restrictions including a ban on alcohol sales and an extended nightly curfew as it fights a fast-increasing surge of COVID-19 cases.

EXPLAINER: Dental, vision and hearing benefits for Medicare

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many working-age people assume that

Minnesota lawmakers reach deal on policing measures

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s top Democratic and Republican lawmakers reached agreement on the highlights of a public safety bill that includes police accountability measures, a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was

Some donors sticking with Cuomo after harassment allegations

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) —

The Latest: UK health secretary quits in wake of scandal

LONDON — U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has resigned after breaking social distancing rules with an aide he was allegedly having an affair with.

Key GOP senators balk at terms of Biden infrastructure bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's

Trump's company could face criminal charges in New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — Manhattan prosecutors are considering filing criminal charges soon against Donald Trump’s company, stemming from a long-running investigation into the former president’s business dealings.

Analysis: Biden rebuts doubts, wins bet on bipartisanship

NEW YORK (AP) — Day after day, as the partisan battle lines hardened on Capitol Hill over President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, his calls for bipartisanship seemed increasingly out of step.

Cesar Chavez's legacy lives on in Biden's staff, Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama flew to California to dedicate

Drought woes in dry US West raise July 4 fireworks fears

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Many Americans aching for normalcy as pandemic restrictions end are looking forward to traditional Fourth of July fireworks. But with a historic drought in the U.S. West and fears of another devastating wildfire season, officials are canceling displays, passing bans on setting off fireworks or begging for caution.

Transgender rights, religion among cases justices could add

WASHINGTON (AP) — A closely watched

Uprooted again: Venezuela migrants cross US border in droves

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — Marianela Rojas huddles in prayer with her fellow migrants, a tearful respite after trudging across a slow-flowing stretch of the Rio Grande and nearly collapsing onto someone's backyard lawn, where, seconds before, she stepped on American soil for the first time.

The Latest: Maine nears 70% vaccination level for residents

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine is approaching getting 70% of its eligible residents fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, and the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention says he sees that figure as more of a floor than a ceiling.

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

Legals for June, 28 2021

Uprooted again: Venezuela migrants cross US border in droves

DEL RIO, Texas (AP) — Marianela Rojas huddles in prayer with her fellow migrants, a tearful respite after trudging across a slow-flowing stretch of the Rio Grande and nearly collapsing onto someone's backyard lawn, where, seconds before, she stepped on American soil for the first time.

Cesar Chavez's legacy lives on in Biden's staff, Oval Office

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama flew to California to dedicate

The Latest: South Africa resumes restrictions to fight surge

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has reintroduced tough restrictions including a ban on alcohol sales and an extended nightly curfew as it fights a fast-increasing surge of COVID-19 cases.

Minnesota lawmakers reach deal on policing measures

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s top Democratic and Republican lawmakers reached agreement on the highlights of a public safety bill that includes police accountability measures, a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was