3 mins read

Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, appeals court panel rules

WASHINGTON | A Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeal court judges ruled on Monday in another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda. The majority opinion — by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit — held […]

3 mins read

Macron says French Navy, backed by the UK, intercepted a sanctioned tanker from Russia

PARIS | The French Navy, with support from the United Kingdom, has intercepted an oil tanker under international sanctions that was traveling from Russia, the most recent effort by nations that support Ukraine to target Russian oil exports helping to finance President Vladimir Putin’s war. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the interception in a post […]

2 mins read

Hundreds of youths protest outside Kenya’s Ebola quarantine center for US citizens

NAIROBI, Kenya | Hundreds of youths in Kenya’s central town of Nanyuki on Monday demonstrated against the establishment at the Laikipia Air Base of an Ebola quarantine center for American citizens exposed to the virus. The protests come two days after Kenya’s High Court suspended the establishment of the facility and the arrival of any […]

6 mins read

Venezuela’s ruling party unity cracks as Delcy Rodríguez shifts Chávez-era policies

It’s a slogan that’s long encapsulated the unique ability of Hugo Chávez’s fiercely nationalistic revolution to stay in power in Venezuela for 27 years: “United, we will win!” The young, the old, ruling party leaders and propagandists alike shout it at official events, street demonstrations and on state television, pumping their fists to show loyalty […]

5 mins read

Jerome Powell uses JFK award speech to warn against political pressure on Fed, courts and schools

BOSTON | Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell used one of his first major public appearances since leaving office to defend independent institutions while accepting an award Sunday honoring his efforts to preserve the central bank’s independence. Speaking at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library overlooking Boston Harbor, Powell called universities, courts, Congress and the […]

8 mins read

Trump is facing a new inflation warning from the bond market, adding to his midterm challenges

WASHINGTON | The world is getting more uptight about lending money to President Donald Trump’s government — causing interest rates to climb in ways that are worsening affordability pressures, hampering economic growth and creating a new risk for Republicans in November’s midterm elections. The energy price spike triggered by the Iran war has seeped into […]

5 mins read

Trump fumes after judge throws out Kennedy Center renovation plan, name change

WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump on Saturday branded the federal judge who blocked his renovation of the Kennedy Center as “an anti Trump Hater” and predicted that the nation’s premier performing arts center he wanted to shutter for a two-year overhaul will “soon be closed, probably never to open again.” In a lengthy post on […]

8 mins read

France’s parliament votes to repeal slavery-era Black Code, with tears and history in the chamber

PARIS | For nearly two centuries after France abolished slavery, the colonial-era law that classified humans as property has remained quietly on its books. On Thursday, the lower house of Parliament voted to wipe it from French law. The National Assembly voted 254-0 — a rare show of unanimity — to adopt a bill repealing […]

9 mins read

Gamification and memes lure young people to sports wagering apps, prediction markets

When Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the second year in a row, Kalshi shared a photo of him on Instagram with the words, “Wait he’s goated.” When a video of NBA player Damian Lillard recovering from an injury circulated online, Kalshi’s main competitor Polymarket posted, “The league is cooked.” If you don’t know what […]

5 mins read

Independent bookstores are multiplying, although many people still think they’re dying out

NEW YORK | Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, is used to strangers expressing sympathy when they learn what she does for a living. “It’s all so funny,” she says. “When I tell them I run the trade association for independent stores, they’ll say, ‘It’s just so sad that they’re disappearing.’ I don’t […]