Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as finance minister to try to address the nation's devastating economic crisis. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa named Wickremesinghe to the position in an apparent bid to regain Sri Lanka's credibility as the government negot…
Boeing's astronaut taxi has returned to Earth from the International Space Station, completing a repeat test flight with a mannequin on board. The Starliner capsule parachuted into the New Mexico desert just four hours after leaving the orbiting lab Wednesday. Aside from a few snags, Starlin…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing restrictions that would block plans for a copper and gold mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region. It is the latest in a long-running dispute over efforts by developers to advance the mine in a region known for its salmon runs. Critics of the…
Elon Musk on Wednesday revised the financing plan for his proposed $44 billion purchase of Twitter, raising investor hopes that the unpredictable billionaire still intends to pull off a deal roiled by market turbulence and Musk's own unpredictable fixation with the number of fake accounts on…
Could Facebook have known about ominous direct-message threats made by a gunman who Texas authorities say massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school? Could it have warned the authorities? Texas Gov. Greg Abbott revealed the online messages sent minutes before the Wednesda…
The Biden administration is siding against the airline industry in a case that involves whether California-based flight crews should get the rest breaks that are required under state law. The airlines say they should not — that only the federal government can regulate the airline industry. O…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is strongly rebuffing those in the West who suggest Ukraine cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement. Zelenskyy repeated his opposition to the idea late Wednesday in his nightly video address to the na…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is strongly rebuffing those in the West who suggest Ukraine cede control of areas occupied by Russian forces for the sake of reaching a peace agreement. Zelenskyy repeated his opposition to the idea late Wednesday in his nightly video address to the na…
The Congressional Budget Office says that high inflation will persist into next year. This will likely cause the federal government to pay higher interest rates on its debt. The nonpartisan agency expects that the consumer price index will rise 6.1% this year and 3.1% in 2023. This forecast …
The Biden administration says $33 million in infrastructure money will be used to clean up some 277 of an estimated 15,000 abandoned oil and gas wells on federal land. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the money is part of $250 million provided through the infrastructure law for cleaning u…
It’s become a common sight: jubilant Starbucks workers celebrating after successful votes to unionize at dozens of U.S. stores. But when the celebrations die down, a daunting hurdle remains. To win the changes they seek, like better pay and more reliable schedules, unionized stores must sit …
Eli Lilly and Company plans to invest $2.1 billion in two new Indiana manufacturing sites, a move that’s expected to create hundreds of new jobs in the Hoosier state, the company announced Wednesday. Lily officials said during a news conference at the governor’s residence that the new facili…
The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced a congressional grilling over a months-long delay in inspecting the plant at the center of a nationwide baby formula shortage. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faced questions Wednesday from House lawmakers probing the formula shortage. Califf…
The sight of fountains, swimming pools, gardens and golf courses in Western cities like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego and Albuquerque can seem jarring as drought and climate change tightening their grip on the region. But Western water experts say they aren’t necessarily cause f…
Rhode Island’s governor has signed legislation to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana in the state. Democratic Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill Wednesday at the State House after Rhode Island’s General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of the legislation Tuesday night. He said th…
The Federal Reserve has raised its rate twice in 2022 and has said additional bumps are likely. These changes are designed to wrestle inflation down to manageable levels, but they…
Top Maryland lawmakers say cutting a scheduled gas-tax increase of about 6 cents this summer won't solve the problem of high gas prices. House Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson said in a joint statement Wednesday that eliminating the inflation adjustment on gas would …
Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to strengthen his control of southern Ukraine by giving residents of two regions a fast path to Russian citizenship. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Moscow passed a bill to bolster Russia's army, which is fighting an intense battle for Ukraine’s east. Putin…
Stocks rose in choppy trading on Wall Street Wednesday afternoon following the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s most recent interest rate policy meeting. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% and the Nasdaq rose 1.2%. Retailers had some of the str…
Amazon shareholders have voted against a proposal calling for an independent audit of working conditions at the company’s warehouses. The e-commerce company opposed the proposal and the 14 others presented Wednesday at its annual shareholders meeting. Citing preliminary voting results, the S…
The Ohio Supreme Court has heard arguments for and against Gov. Mike DeWine's decision to end the state's participation in a federal pandemic unemployment aid program ahead of a government deadline for stopping the payments. The program provided $300 in weekly coronavirus unemployment funds …
North Dakota's tax commissioner says oil producers almost certainly will be paying higher state taxes for at least three months beginning June 1 due to strong oil prices. The increase in state oil tax collections is possible because of a state law that adjusts North Dakota’s oil extraction t…
Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is calling for stronger gun legislation in the wake of the mass shooting in Texas that killed 21 people, mostly children. Speaking on a climate panel Wednesday at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Gore said the latest mass shooting rep…
Massachusetts has sued more than a dozen companies involved in the manufacture or marketing of so-called forever chemicals for allegedly knowingly polluting the environment and endangering public health. State Attorney General Maura Healey said Wednesday that the companies have known about t…
The president of the Ford Foundation, Darren Walker, has received France’s highest cultural honor in recognition of his support of the arts and artists. He was named commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters on Tuesday at a mansion owned by the French embassy in New York. He joins supe…
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