US job openings hit 3-1/2-year low as labor market eases
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings dropped to a 3-1/2-year low in July, suggesting the labor market was losing steam, but the reduction on its own is probably not enough to warrant a half-percentage-point interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve this month.
4 dead in Georgia high school shooting, officials say
ATLANTA — Four people were shot dead at a high school northeast of Atlanta on Wednesday, Georgia law enforcement officials said, the deadliest school shooting in the United States this year and a wrenching start to the new school year.
Judge to weigh future of Trump prosecution over 2020 election
WASHINGTON — A federal judge is set to weigh Thursday whether former President Donald Trump, in the critical weeks leading up to the November election, will face court fights over the Washington-based criminal case about his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
Nation and world news in brief for September 5
Report: Hunger in US continued multi-year rise in 2023
Massachusetts welfare dollars spent in Hawaii, Virgin Islands, Alaska: ‘What the hell is someone doing in Hawaii?’
BOSTON — Welfare recipients can’t use ATMs in casinos and pot shops, but that didn’t stop them from firing up EBT cards in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, California, Florida, and Alaska.
In deciding when to sentence Trump, judge faces ‘impossible’ task
NEW YORK — As Donald Trump’s criminal trial wrapped up in May, one of his lawyers wanted to give the jury unusual instructions that would have made it harder to convict him. A special case warranted special rules, the lawyer argued, and the first prosecution of a former U.S. president was “obviously an extraordinarily important case.”
Trump questions fairness of next week’s debate at a town hall
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Hours after the Trump and Harris campaigns agreed to rules for their first presidential debate, former President Donald Trump sought to instill doubt that the debate would be fair, downplayed his need to prepare and suggested he was more worried about the network hosting the debate than his opponent.
Harris tells the business community: I’m friendlier than Biden
NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. — Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday sought to put daylight between herself and President Joe Biden on tax policy, making it the first issue on which she is trying to stand apart from an administration in which she holds a key role.
Russia imprisons top physicists, evenas Putin touts their technology
BERLIN — Russian scientists helped make their country a leader in developing cutting-edge missiles that fly at least five times as fast as the speed of sound. Then Russia started calling them traitors.
US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say
A Chinese social media influence operation is impersonating U.S. voters, denigrating U.S. politicians and pushing divisive messages ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States, new research by intelligence company Graphika showed.
Canada turning away more foreigners, approving fewer visas in border crackdown
TORONTO (Reuters) — Canada is closing its doors to more visitors and temporary residents by approving fewer visas and turning away more people who reach its borders with official documents, according to government data obtained by Reuters.
Nation and world news in brief for September 4
US charges Hamas leaders over Oct. 7 attack on Israel
US small business surges, sentiment improves, Treasury report says
WASHINGTON — U.S. small business startup applications are surging this year with sentiment improving in the sector after a rocky post-pandemic period as inflation eases, a U.S. Treasury report showed on Tuesday.
New Zealand nearly triples levy on international tourists
WELLINGTON (Reuters) — New Zealand will nearly triple entry fees for tourists, the government said on Tuesday, spurring criticism from the key tourism sector the higher levy will deter visitors.
Kamala Harris to propose up to $50,000 tax deduction for new small businesses
WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris will propose a tax deduction of up to $50,000 for new small businesses on Wednesday, a tenfold increase over existing relief and her latest economic policy aimed at winning over middle-class Americans after jumping into the presidential race over a month ago.
US will still pay at least twice as much after negotiating drug prices
The U.S. government’s first-ever negotiated prices for prescription drugs are still on average more than double, and in some cases five times, what drugmakers have agreed to in four other high-income countries, a Reuters review has found.
Why thousands of hotel workers are on strike
Few industries were disrupted as drastically by the COVID-19 pandemic as the hospitality sector. Now, as travel has bounced back to prepandemic highs and COVID precautions have fallen by the wayside, thousands of hotel workers say they are still suffering from the lower wages and higher workloads that the pandemic period ushered in.
After water quality improves, scientists find sea turtles in Brazil get healthier
RIO DE JANEIRO — Sea turtles in the Guanabara Bay of Rio de Janeiro are getting healthier after struggling for years with a tumor disease that hampers their movement, sight and feeding, and ultimately leads to their death.
Venezuela issues arrest warrant for opposition leader Gonzalez, AG says
CARACAS — Venezuela’s attorney general’s office said on Monday a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro won a July election.
Shooting mars festivities at West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn
NEW YORK — At least five people were shot and wounded along the route of the annual West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn on Monday, briefly disrupting — but not derailing — a crowded and colorful celebration of New York City’s Caribbean community.
