1gridNATIONandSTATE
As US Customs refines its tariff refund system, who gets in to apply is under dispute
NEW YORK | A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency official is set to testify in federal court Tuesday about the U.S. government’s plans for refunding billions of dollars that importers paid before the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump illegally imposed certain tariffs on goods from most other countries. Court of International Trade […]
Analysis: Chinese President Xi’s silence on nuclear arms is a gift to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
TOKYO | Chinese and North Korean state-run media this week devoted thousands of words to Xi Jinping ‘s summit with Kim Jong Un, but made no mention of a key matter for Washington: the North’s steadfast pursuit of nuclear weapons that could threaten the United States and its allies in Asia. The silence says more […]
After long waits at the Social Security Administration, its chief says things are getting better
WASHINGTON | After complaints about staffing cuts and long waits to get help at the Social Security Administration, its commissioner says he’s ready to make the case to Congress this week that things are getting a lot better at the embattled agency. Frank Bisignano is expected to face pointed questions from lawmakers at a hearing […]
Fewer Americans say democracy is central to country’s identity, AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON | As the U.S. prepares for an extravagant celebration of its founding principles, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, a new poll finds. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans’ feeling of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people. It […]
Tropical Storm Boris forms off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and brings flooding threat
MIAMI | Tropical Storm Boris formed Monday and was expected to bring heavy rain, flooding and possible mudslides to parts of southern Mexico’s Pacific coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Boris was located about 85 miles (135 kilometers) southeast of Acapulco and 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Punta Maldonado, according to the Miami-based […]
A 7.8 magnitude quake in the Philippines kills at least 32, collapses buildings and sparks tsunami
DAVAO, Philippines | An offshore magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 200 others mostly in ruined buildings and sending a 1-meter (3-foot) tsunami into nearby coasts. Several mostly low-rise buildings collapsed or sustained heavy damages in the hard-hit city of General Santos. Tsunami damage […]
From unfilled gas tanks to fewer frills, retailers see US consumers rethink their spending
NEW YORK | U.S. consumers haven’t stopped spending money since the Iran war drove up fuel prices, but many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where, according to company executives and retail analysts. The behavior changes observed so far are subtle, such as altered routines for buying gasoline and fewer visits to clothing and […]
Australian cockroach kingpin caught with 100,000 illegal insects in record bug bust
WELLINGTON, New Zealand | More than 100,000 live cockroaches illegal to keep in Australia were confiscated from a single breeder in the country’s largest-ever seizure of exotic invertebrates, officials said Friday. The haul of Madagascar hissing cockroaches and dubia cockroaches, worth 200,000 Australian dollars ($142,000), was seized in May from a commercial breeder in the […]
Radio scans find no alien tech from the latest interstellar comet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. | The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all clear: An interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech. The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology […]
Former supermodel Carré Otis files Paris rape complaint against ex-Elite boss
PARIS | Former American supermodel Carré Otis filed a complaint Friday at a Paris court alleging she was raped and trafficked by Gérald Marie, the former European head of Elite Model agency, in a move her lawyer said is meant to encourage other potential victims to come forward. Marie has denied the allegations and cannot […]