Flood rescue enters fourth day in Nepal-China border as weather hampers air operations
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Poor weather hampered aerial rescue operations in Nepal as the search for hundreds of missing people in areas devastated by catastrophic flash floods along the border with China entered its fourth day. Rescue workers and military personnel have been working around the clock since Wednesday’s disaster that killed nearly 600 people and left almost 2,500 missing. Some survivors have been pulled from the mud, while crews continue searching several locations for those still missing. Despite the disruption to aerial operations, search and rescue efforts continued at several locations in Nepal and China’s Tibet, including the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and the severely damaged Gyirong border crossing on the Chinese side.
Trump used to say he saw a quick end to his Iran war, but 6 months later he claims he's in no hurry
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump marks an awkward moment in his second White House term as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran reaches the six-month mark. Trump initially told Americans it would last only a matter of weeks. Trump claims the war has devastated Iran's leadership, military and economy. This week, his administration has shifted its focus to increasing economic pressure rather than military action. Trump says he's not in a hurry to bring Iran back to negotiations. Mediators like Qatar and Pakistan continue to seek diplomatic solutions. Analysts warn that Iran has shown resilience to international pressure, and it remains to be seen how far the U.S. will go with its new strategy.
Six months on, the Iran war has changed the Middle East, but not in the way its architects had hoped
The Iran war has changed the Middle East, but not in the ways that the United States and Israel had hoped. The war they launched six months ago has left the Islamic Republic with a more radical leadership bent on controlling the Strait of Hormuz and using it to extract concessions. Gulf nations have come to doubt decades-old American security guarantees. Israel has continued to rack up tactical victories while accelerating its international isolation and the erosion of support among the American public. There is no end in sight to the war and its impact on the global economy.
Trump says US has entered deal with Venezuela to take control of 65 billion barrels of oil reserves
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his administration has entered a sweeping agreement with Venezuela that, if realized, could give the U.S. access to vast amounts of the South American country’s untapped oil reserves, at cost. Trump said in a social media post Friday that the agreement was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez. The president calls it "THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!” Rodríguez’s government says the deal involves the development of 17 fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels. It says it could draw $100 billion in investment into Venezuela’s oil industry,
Trump administration appeals latest ruling blocking his mail voting order from taking effect
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is appealing a judge’s decision that blocked an executive order limiting mail voting before the midterm elections. The court filing Friday comes after a federal judge in Boston handed down a new decision blocking President Donald Trump's order for two weeks. The Supreme Court has allowed the administration to work on the plan, but didn’t decide whether it’s legal. The whipsawing legal battle unfolding days before the first states begin sending out mail ballots could have major ramifications for the midterms.
Washington chemical tank was called unfit for service before deadly failure, investigators find
An inspection contractor found a chemical tank at a Washington state paper mill was unfit for service 10 months before its fatal failure in May. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released an investigation update Friday on the tank failure at the mill in Longview that killed 11 workers and injured several others. It was one of the deadliest U.S. workplace disasters in recent decades. The Chemical Safety Board found that Nippon Dynawave Packing Company continued to operate the tank without making repairs despite three inspections from an outside contractor that recommended them. The federal agency said it’s still determining what caused the failure. A company spokesperson says it won't comment on findings or documents at this time because the investigation is ongoing.
Fed Chair Warsh signals rate hikes may be needed with US inflation stubbornly elevated
JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh says inflation is still too high and suggested the central bank may have to raise interest rates in the coming months to bring it down, a clearer signal than he has sent before about his economic outlook. In his first high-profile speech at the Fed’s annual conference at Jackson Hole, Warsh acknowledged in prepared remarks Friday that recent inflation reports show it has cooled a bit, but “they do not tell me that underlying trends have meaningfully improved.”
The bond market prepares for a hike to interest rates, while US stocks drift lower
NEW YORK (AP) — The bond market swung as investors built bets that the Federal Reserve may hike interest rates soon to get the nation’s high inflation under control. U.S. stocks, meanwhile, dipped Friday but not by much after economists said a speech by Chairman Kevin Warsh helped strengthen faith that the Fed will do what’s needed to bring inflation down, even if it causes pain for the economy in the short term. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% after flipping between modest gains and losses through the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped by less than 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.5%.
Far-right British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos arrested by US immigration enforcement
Immigration officials have arrested British far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in New Orleans. The Department of Homeland Security says he was detained at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Thursday. He's accused of overstaying after entering the U.S. legally in May 2019. An Immigration Judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after he missed his immigration hearing. Yiannopoulos is known for his controversial views on feminism, Islam, and immigration. He has worked for rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, who was scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday. Yiannopoulos rose to fame in the early 2010s as a writer for Breitbart News.
She was a pain specialist to top athletes. Her opioid prescribing alarmed the DEA
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Joan Rubinger overcame a catastrophic biking accident that left her paralyzed to become an influential pain-relief specialist helping top-tier athletes get back on the field after acute and chronic injuries. Her website touts a client list that includes 169 NFL Pro Bowl selections, 29 NBA and WNBA champions and 15 Olympic medalists. Among some of her most notable patients: NBA All Stars Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged in court filings, Rubinger doled out thousands of illegal prescriptions for highly addictive painkillers, a “covert and slinking” scheme the nurse practitioner likened to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant.
