WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday warned of a potential public safety threat from violent extremists who might try to copy the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people. The warning comes a week before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.…
read moreWashington — Outgoing President Joe Biden sought to burnish his foreign policy record Monday and said U.S. adversaries are weaker than when he took office four years ago despite global crises that remain unresolved. A week before handing over to President-elect Donald Trump, Biden in a rare State Department speech touted his administration’s backing for Ukraine…
read moreBaltiomore, Md. — Baltimore prosecutors filed a motion supporting Adnan Syed’s recent request to have his sentence reduced to time served, which could ensure he remains free indefinitely as he awaits further court decisions in a decadeslong legal saga that amassed a large following from the hit podcast “Serial.” Syed was released from prison in 2022…
read moreThe deadly fires in the Los Angeles area have persisted for a week amid firefighters’ efforts to contain the infernos, which had killed at least 24 people by Sunday. Officials say more than 7,000 structures have gone up in flames in what has been called the Eaton Fire, including the home of a firefighter. VOA’s…
read moreFirefighters in southern California are battling to bring multiple major Los Angeles area wildfires under control Monday as forecasters warn of renewed strong winds that could cause “explosive fire growth.” The new wind threat, with the biggest concern happening Tuesday, is expected to bring sustained winds of 80 kph and gusts up to about 110…
read morePresident-elect Donald Trump pledges to reduce government spending when he takes office. He has tasked billionaire businessman Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who’s worth an estimated $950 million, to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, a proposed presidential advisory commission. It’s not a new concept. U.S. leaders have tried to reduce the role of government…
read morePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania — The Philadelphia 76ers have decided not to build a $1.3 billion downtown arena, a surprising move that comes just weeks after the team received approval for the controversial project from the city council. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that multiple council members had confirmed the change in plans. The team has struck a…
read moreNew York — On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, while much of Hollywood’s attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period, and that was slightly…
read moreDonald Trump will become the 47th president of the United States later this month. U.S. voters have differing expectations for their next president. VOA Correspondent Scott Stearns has the story. …
read moreSANTA FE, NEW MEXICO — The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday struck down abortion restrictions by conservative cities and counties, helping to ensure the state remains a go-to destination for people from other states with bans. The unanimous opinion, in response to a request from state Attorney General Raúl Torrez, reinforces the state’s position as…
read moreMAPLE GROVE, Minnesota — Ice crystals clung to the eyelashes, parka hood, beanie hat and headscarf of Ruqayah Nasser as she took a break after her first-ever snow tubing runs in a Minnesota park on a -18 Celsius January morning. She had joined two dozen other members of a group founded by a Somali-American mother in…
read moreWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Saturday honored Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction, the highest civilian award given by the president, saying the pontiff was “a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world.” Biden had been scheduled to present the medal to the pope in person…
read moreCAPE CANAVERAL — A quarter of a century after its founding, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is finally ready for its maiden orbital voyage with a brand-new rocket the company hopes will shake up the commercial space race. The launch initially scheduled for Sunday was pushed back a day due to “unfavorable” sea conditions, Blue Origin posted…
read moreU.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who led the federal cases against Donald Trump on charges of trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat and mishandling of classified documents, has resigned, as the Republican president-elect prepares to return to the White House. Smith resigned Friday from the Department of Justice, according to a court filing on…
read moreLOS ANGELES — The largest of the raging wildfires that have devastated parts of Los Angeles this week was reported to have shifted direction Saturday, triggering more evacuation orders and posing a new challenge to exhausted firefighters. Six simultaneous blazes that have ripped across Los Angeles County neighborhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 11 people…
read moreJERUSALEM/CAIRO — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday amid a push to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu’s office said. After the meeting, Netanyahu dispatched a high-level delegation, which included the head of the Israeli Mossad intelligence agency, to Qatar to “advance” talks to return…
read moreDuring his presidential campaign, Donald Trump singled out Aurora, Colorado, as an example of immigrant crime that he would solve with mass deportations. Colorado’s governor says he welcomes federal help to deport gang members but will oppose broader plans for migrant deportation. From Aurora, Colorado, Shelley Schlender reports. …
read moreBANGKOK — Nearly all of the world’s 35,000 online pharmacies are being run illegally and consumers who use them risk getting ineffective or dangerous drugs, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report on “notorious markets.” The report also singled out 19 countries over concerns about counterfeit or pirated products. The report also named about three…
read moreboston — The cost of college keeps spiraling ever higher, right? Not necessarily. New research indicates students are paying significantly less to attend public universities than they were a decade ago. And tuition increases at private colleges have finally slowed after years of hefty rises. Figures compiled by the nonprofit College Board indicate the average student…
read morewhite house — Jake Sullivan, the outgoing U.S. national security adviser, is urging the incoming Trump administration to continue President Joe Biden’s strategy of bolstering ties with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter adversaries including China and North Korea. “The case we will make to them is that the American position in the…
read moreProsecutors are demanding that former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez be given at least a 15-year prison sentence following his conviction for corruption that included acting as an agent of a foreign government. In the sentencing recommendation filed late Thursday in a Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said the 71-year-old Democrat who once represented New Jersey is…
read moreATLANTA, GEORGIA — A powerful winter storm that dumped heavy snow and glazed roads with ice across much of Texas and Oklahoma lumbered eastward into Southern United States Friday, making for dicey travel and a rare snow day for many students. Arkansas and North Carolina mobilized their National Guards for tasks such as helping stranded motorists,…
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