National
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Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25 billion to encourage families to claim ‘Trump Accounts’
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NEW YORK (AP) — Billionaires Michael and Susan Dell pledged $6.25 billion Tuesday to provide 25 million American children under 10 an incentive to claim the new investment accounts for children created as part of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending legislation. The historic gift has little precedent, with few single charitable commitments in the…
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UK and US agree zero-tariff deal on pharmaceuticals
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LONDON (AP) — The U.K. has secured a 0% tariff rate for all U.K. medicines exported to the U.S. for at least three years, officials said Monday, in return for the U.K. spending more on new medicines. Under the deal, the U.S. agreed to exempt U.K.-origin pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and medical technology from import taxes.…
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Trump says he knows ‘who he’s going to pick’ for Fed chair
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President Donald Trump said he knows who he will nominate to replace Jerome Powell as chairman of the Federal Reserve. During a press briefing on Air Force One, Trump was asked if he was “any closer” to naming someone for the position. “I know who I’m going to pick,” said Trump. “Is it Kevin Hassett?”…
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Australia will enforce a social media ban for children under 16 despite a court challenge
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government said young children will be banned from social media next month as scheduled despite a rights advocacy group on Wednesday challenging the world-first legislation in court. The Sydney-based Digital Freedom Project said it had filed a constitutional challenge in the High Court on Wednesday to a law due…
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Two West Virginia National Guard members shot in DC have died, the state’s governor says
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Two West Virginia National Guard members shot Wednesday near the White House have died, the state’s governor said. Governor Patrick Morrisey confirmed their deaths in a social media post. “We are in ongoing contact with federal officials as the investigation continues,” he said. A suspect who was in custody also was shot…
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Kremlin confirms US envoy will visit as talks on ending war in Ukraine gain momentum
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A senior Kremlin official confirmed Wednesday that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week as efforts pick up speed to find a consensus on ending the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. But Yuri Ushakov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, insisted that Kremlin…
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Two National Guard members shot in Washington, D.C., and their condition isn’t known, AP sources say
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WASHINGTON (AP) — A suspect is in custody in the shooting of National Guard members in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, police said. Two guard soldiers were shot near the White House and their conditions aren’t immediately known, according to two law enforcement officials not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and who spoke to AP…
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Taiwan puts $40 billion toward buying US weapons and building a defense dome
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TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on Wednesday announced a special $40 billion budget for arms purchases, including to build an air defense system with high-level detection and interception capabilities called Taiwan Dome, as the U.S. pressures the island to increase its defense spending. The budget will be allocated over eight years, from…
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Consumer confidence slides as Americans grow wary of high costs and sluggish job gains
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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers were much less confident in the economy in November in the aftermath of the government shutdown and amid weak hiring and stubborn inflation. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index dropped to 88.7 in November from an upwardly revised October reading of 95.5, the second-lowest reading since…
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Russian attacks kill at least 7 in Ukraine as talks on US peace plan continue
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, overnight, with at least seven people killed in strikes that hit city buildings and energy infrastructure. A Ukrainian attack on southern Russia killed three people and damaged homes, authorities said. The attacks came during a renewed U.S. push to end the…
