Tag Archives: United States

The Associated Press reports: Almost 3 in 4 Americans plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home instead of going out, according to a new poll. The survey, published Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Research Center, revealed that 72 percent of those planning to ring in the New Year will do so from their own home. Another 21 percent said …

The Associated Press reports: The world population increased by more than 71 million people in 2024 and will be 8.09 billion people on New Year’s Day, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Monday. The 0.9% increase in 2024 was a slight slowdown from 2023, when the world population grew by 75 million people. In January 2025, 4.2 births and …

The Associated Press reports: The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country’s national bird. President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone …

The Associated Press reports: President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied long-range missiles was met with ominous warnings from Moscow, a hint of menace from Kyiv and nods of approval from some Western allies. Washington is easing limits on what Ukraine can strike with U.S.-made weaponry, U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Sunday, …

The Washington Post reports: The U.S. economy continued its expansion in the third quarter, growing at an annualized rate of 2.8 percent, and offering a spurt of good news for Vice President Harris just days before the election. The latest gross domestic product report offers a snapshot of a robust economy that has remained steady following a 3 percent reading …

Axios reports: The Biden administration sent a letter to Israeli leaders on Monday demanding Israel take steps within 30 days to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza or risk the supply of U.S. weapons to Israel being affected, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios. Countries that receive U.S. military aid and are in an active …

Axios reports: The U.S., France and key allies issued a joint statement on Wednesday calling on Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a 21-day ceasefire during which negotiations could take place on a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Israeli-Lebanese border. The statement — released after 10 days of intense fighting that has killed more than 700 people in …

NBC News reports: President Joe Biden addressed the United Nations General Assembly for the final time as commander in chief Tuesday morning amid the spiraling conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and growing global concerns about China’s influence. They were also Biden’s first remarks before the General Assembly since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and …

Reuters reports: The United States on Thursday recognized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro’s claim of victory. “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July …

USA Today reports: Simone Biles cemented her legacy as the world’s most dominant gymnast Thursday night, narrowly defeating Rebeca Andrade of Brazil in the 2024 Paris Olympics all-around final to become the oldest all-around Olympic champion since 1952. Biles, 27, is also just the third woman in history to win multiple golds in the all-around, and the first to win …

Via press release from the White House: Today, three American citizens and one American green-card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza. The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including five Germans and …

Bloomberg News reports: Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a major prisoner swap with the US, according to people familiar with the situation. The men, jailed in Russia on espionage charges they and the US deny, are en route to destinations outside of Russia. The US and its allies …

Yahoo Sports reports: The United States’ women’s gymnastics team dominated, winning gold in team competition here with a score of 171.296, a full 5.802 ahead of second-place Italy. Brazil took bronze. It returned Olympic champion status to the U.S. after it slipped to silver in Tokyo when star Simone Biles had to withdraw after a single vault. The Russians won …

Yahoo Finance reports: The US economy grew at a faster than expected pace in the second quarter. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’s advance estimate of first quarter US gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.8% during the period, well above the 2% growth expected by economists. The reading came in higher than first …

Gallup Polling reports: Two in five Americans, 41%, say they are “extremely proud” to be American, the fifth consecutive year this reading has been in the 38% to 43% range. Another 26% of U.S. adults say they are “very proud,” also in line with recent years. The 67% combined share of Americans who are extremely or very proud is consistent …

Yahoo Finance reports: A closely-watched report on US inflation showed consumer price increases cooled during the month of May, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday morning. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) remained flat over the previous month and rose 3.3% over the prior year in May — a deceleration from April’s 0.3% month-over-month …

Axios reports: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has banned Israel’s intelligence and security chiefs from meeting with U.S. officials and lawmakers multiple times since the war in Gaza began, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios. Netanyahu seems to be trying to control what American politicians and diplomats hear from Israel — at a time when his government is deeply …

From a new study on church attendance: To date, most studies on religion have relied on surveys where respondents self-report their worship, potentially limiting the reliability of results. In this paper, the author uses anonymized location data from smartphones to provide a descriptive analysis of religious worship attendance in the United States. Seventy-three percent of people step into a religious …

Axios reports: A day after President Biden warned Israel that a major attack on Rafah would cross a “red line” for U.S. support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on a rant during a meeting with his security cabinet. “We are not a vassal state of the United States!” he declared, according to three people with knowledge of his remarks, …

The Christian Post reports: The United Methodist Church General Conference voted to drop a ban on funding LGBT advocacy groups and removed a required punishment for pastors who officiate gay weddings after thousands of theologically conservative congregations left the mainline Protestant denomination in the last two years. The change was among the bulk of legislation approved by a vote of …