Tag Archives: General news

LITTLETON, N.H. (AP) — The quaint town of Littleton, New Hampshire, is seeing more tourists, drawn to a main street of shops and restaurants where rainbow colors and gay pride symbols can be seen alongside American flags. Its population of 6,000 is growing younger and more diverse, supporting LGBTQ-themed art and a local theater’s gay-themed musical. The changes haven’t been …

TOKYO (AP) — The Ukrainian-born winner of this year’s Miss Japan beauty pageant and the contest’s organizers say she has renounced her title after a magazine published an article about her affair with a married man. Karolina Shiino was crowned Miss Japan on Jan. 22, setting off renewed public debate over what it means to be Japanese in a country …

NEW YORK (AP) — The largest public housing authority in the nation was infested by a “classic pay-to-play” culture of corruption where workers dispensed repair jobs to contractors willing to pay bribes, a prosecutor said Tuesday as authorities revealed they had arrested 70 current and former employees for illegally pocketing over $2 million. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told a news …

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Hamas’ response to the latest plan for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages was “generally positive,” key mediator Qatar said Tuesday, as the militant group reiterated its demand for an end to the war, something Israel has thus far ruled out. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al Thani announced the response …

WASHINGTON (AP) — This story was first published February 2, 2024. It was corrected on February 6, 2024, to clarify that if “None of these candidates” reaches the required vote threshold to win Democratic delegates, those delegates will go into an “uncommitted” column.

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — A Virginia Senate committee on Tuesday rejected legislation that would have allowed a referendum on a casino in the wealthy suburbs of the nation’s capital. The Senate Finance and Appropriations committee voted 13-2 against a bill that would have allowed Fairfax County to hold a referendum on building a casino and conference center in Tysons Corner, …

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called Tuesday night for the creation of a limited school voucher program and announced support for two controversial measures before lawmakers this year: gambling legislation and absentee ballot restrictions. Lawmakers kicked off the 2024 legislative session with key votes on gambling, elections and education looming. Ivey used her annual State of the …

NEW YORK (AP) — While the U.S. economy is broadly healthy, pockets of Americans have run through their savings and run up their credit card balances after battling inflation for more than two years. Experts worry that members of these groups — mostly lower- and middle-income Americans, who tend to be renters — are falling behind on their debts and …

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Monday at the start of his fifth visit to the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, hoping to press ahead with a potential cease-fire deal and postwar planning while tamping down regional tensions. But on all three fronts he …

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The first publicly known cases have emerged of Russian authorities penalizing people under a court ruling that outlawed LGBTQ+ activism as extremism, Russian media and rights groups have reported, with at least three people who displayed rainbow-colored items receiving jail time or fines. The Supreme Court ruling in November banned what the government called the LGBTQ+ …