In the most ambitious U.S. effort to stave off the worst of climate change, President Joe Biden signed executive orders Wednesday to transform the nation’s heavily fossil-fuel powered economy into a clean-burning one, pausing oil and gas leasing on federal land and targeting subsidies for those industries.
Stories by associated press
First Biden-Putin Call Shows Both Cautious on Big Concerns
Associated Press | Jan 26, 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held their first phone conversation as counterparts Tuesday in a phone call that underscored troubled relations and the delicate balance between the former Cold War foes.
Foot of Snow Blankets Parts of Midwest, Disrupts Travel
Associated Press | Jan 26, 2021
A major winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow on parts of the middle of the country while another system blanketed parts of the Southwest with snow, disrupting travel for a second consecutive day Tuesday and shuttering many schools.
Biden More Bullish on Vaccines, Open to 1.5M Daily Shot Goal
Associated Press | Jan 26, 2021
President Joe Biden signaled his increasing bullishness on the pace of vaccinations after signing an executive order to boost government purchases from U.S. manufacturers.
Trump Impeachment Goes to Senate, Testing His Sway Over GOP
Associated Press | Jan 25, 2021
Democrats marched the impeachment case against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday night for the start of his historic trial, but Republican senators were easing off their criticism of the former president and shunning calls to convict him over the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.
Biden Orders COVID-19 Travel Restrictions, Adds South Africa
Associated Press | Jan 25, 2021
President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries that allow travel across open borders. He also added South Africa to the list.
Chicago Teachers Vote to Teach From Home, Defying District
Associated Press | Jan 24, 2021
The Chicago Teachers Union said Sunday that its members voted to defy an order to return to the classroom over concerns about COVID-19, setting up a showdown with district officials who have said that refusing to return when ordered would amount to an illegal strike.
Aloha Shirts on ‘Boogaloos’ Link Symbol of Peace to Violence
Associated Press | Jan 24, 2021
People following a violent movement that promotes a second U.S. civil war or the breakdown of modern society have been showing up at recent protests wearing not only tactical gear but an unlikely public and online symbol: the so-called Hawaiian shirt.
Judge: Kenosha Shooter Can’t Associate With Supremacists
Associated Press | Jan 23, 2021
An 18-year-old Illinois teen charged with fatally shooting two people during a protest in southeastern Wisconsin last year is prohibited from associating with known white supremacists under a judge’s recently modified bail conditions.
Capitol Attack Reflects US Extremist Evolution Over Decades
Associated Press | Jan 23, 2021
Right-wing extremism has previously played out for the most part in isolated pockets of America and in its smaller cities. The deadly assault by rioters on the U.S. Capitol, in contrast, targeted the very heart of government.
Larry King, Broadcasting Giant For Half-Century, Dies at 87
Associated Press | Jan 23, 2021
Larry King, the suspenders-sporting everyman whose broadcast interviews with world leaders, movie stars and ordinary Joes helped define American conversation for a half-century, died Saturday. He was 87.
Schumer: Trump Impeachment Trial to Begin Week of Feb. 8
Associated Press | Jan 22, 2021
Opening arguments in the Senate impeachment trial for Donald Trump over the Capitol riot will begin the week of Feb. 8, the first time a former president will face such charges after leaving office.
Biden Ordering Stopgap Help As Talks Start on Big Aid Plan
Associated Press | Jan 22, 2021
President Joe Biden took executive action Friday to speed a stopgap measure of financial relief to millions of Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic while Congress begins to consider his much larger $1.9 trillion package.
Biden Orders Review of Domestic Violent Extremism Threat
Associated Press | Jan 22, 2021
President Joe Biden has directed law enforcement and intelligence officials in his administration to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the United States, an undertaking being launched weeks after a mob of insurgents loyal to Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol.
McConnell Seeks to Push Impeachment Trial to February
Associated Press | Jan 21, 2021
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is proposing to push back the start of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial by a week or more to give the former president time to review the case.
‘Just Move On’: Republicans Grapple with Post-Trump Future
Associated Press | Jan 21, 2021
The shift to minority status is always difficult, prompting debates over who is to blame for losing the last election. But the process is especially intense as Republicans confront profound questions about what the party stands for without Donald Trump in charge.
Can COVID-19 Vaccines Be Mixed and Matched?
Associated Press | Jan 21, 2021
The COVID-19 vaccines rolling out in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world so far require two shots given a few weeks apart.
Biden Signs Burst of Virus Orders, Requires Masks for Travel
Associated Press | Jan 21, 2021
The 10 orders signed by Biden are aimed at jump starting his national COVID-19 strategy to increase vaccinations and testing, lay the groundwork for reopening schools and businesses, and immediately increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel.
US Jobless Claims Decline to a Still-High 900,000
Associated Press | Jan 21, 2021
The Labor Department's report Thursday underscored that President Joe Biden has inherited an economy that faltered this winter as virus cases spiked, cold weather restricted dining and federal rescue aid expired.
On Day One, Biden Targets Trump Policies on Climate, Virus
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
President Joe Biden is moving swiftly to dismantle Donald Trump’s legacy on his first day in office, signing a series of executive actions that reverse course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden Takes the Helm as President: ‘Democracy Has Prevailed’
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that “democracy has prevailed” and summoning American resilience and unity to confront the deeply divided nation’s historic confluence of crises.
Vice President Harris: A New Chapter Opens in US Politics
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris broke the barrier that has kept men at the top ranks of American power for more than two centuries when she took the oath Wednesday to hold the nation’s second-highest office.
Biden’s Inauguration Goes Off With No Security Issues
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
Troops in riot gear lined the sidewalks, but there were no crowds. Armored vehicles and concrete barriers blocked empty streets. Miles of fencing cordoned off many of the nation’s most familiar landmarks.
Trump Bids Farewell to Washington, Hints of Comeback
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
His presidency over, Donald Trump said farewell to Washington on Wednesday but also hinted about a comeback despite a legacy of chaos, tumult and bitter divisions in the country he led for four years.
Trump Pardons Ex-Strategist Steve Bannon, Dozens of Others
Associated Press | Jan 20, 2021
President Donald Trump pardoned former chief strategist Steve Bannon in the final hours of his White House term as part of a flurry of clemency action that benefited more than 140 people, including rap performers, ex-members of Congress and other allies of him and his family.
McConnell: Trump ‘Provoked’ Capitol Siege, Mob Was Fed Lies
Associated Press | Jan 19, 2021
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday explicitly blamed President Donald Trump for the deadly riot at the Capitol, saying the mob was “fed lies” and that the president and others “provoked” those intent on overturning Democrat Joe Biden’s election.