WASHINGTON (AP) — All or most of a $267,000 loan obtained by Supreme CourtJustice Clarence Thomas to buy a high-end motorcoach appears to have been forgiven, raising tax and ethics questions, according to a new report by Senate Democrats.Anthony “Tony” Welters, a longtime friend of Thomas who made the loan in 1999, forgave the debt
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The World Bank approved a $1 billion loan for South Africa on Wednesday to help it address an energy crisis that has peaked this year with the country’s worst electricity blackouts. The energy problem has forced the country to lean on its highly polluting coal-fired power stations.South Africa has
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 22-year-old driver of a BMW that struck and killed four Pepperdine University students in Malibu last week has been charged with four counts of murder, authorities said Wednesday.Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the charges against Fraser Bohm at a Wednesday news conference. He didn’t immediately say if
NICE, France (AP) — The French soccer league suspended Nice defender Youcef Atal for seven matches on Wednesday after he shared an antisemitic message on social media.Nice had already suspended Atal last week until further notice and said that he apologized for his actions. After the matter was reviewed by the French soccer federation’s ethics
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s chief prosecutor on Wednesday announced a criminal investigation into organizers of this past weekend’s primary election that was meant to let voters choose an opposition candidate to run against President Nicolás Maduro next year.Attorney General Tarek William Saab told reporters the probe would look at allegations including that the independent
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a menu of “comforting” food and instrumental sounds rather than dance party music, the White House set out Wednesday to throw a state dinner that balanced the desire to celebrate ties to a close U.S. ally with an effort to strike a measured tone at a time of mounting death and
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. He also said he was redoubling his commitment to working on a two-state solution to end the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict.Biden said the
WASHINGTON (AP) — As billions of dollars for a global HIV/AIDS program credited with saving millions of lives remains in limbo, the George W. Bush Institute is urging the U.S. Congress to keep money flowing for it.In a letter sent to Congress on Wednesday, the former Republican president’s institute pleaded with Congress to keep funding
WASHINGTON (AP) — An estimated 17 million households reported problems finding enough food in 2022 — a sharp jump from 2021 when boosted government aid helped ease the pandemic-induced economic shutdown. A new Department of Agriculture report, released Wednesday, paints a sobering picture of post-pandemic hardship with “statistically significant” increases in food insecurity across multiple
WASHINGTON (AP) — A second U.S. Attorney has testified to Congress that the prosecutor overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation had full authority over filing charges, rebutting whistleblower claims that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss didn’t have the final say on the case against the president’s son. The allegation that Weiss was blocked from filing tax
