North America

SEATTLE (AP) — The shooting deaths of two Connecticut officers and wounding of a third punctuated an especially violent week for police across the U.S. and fit into a grim pattern: Even as more officers left their jobs in the past two years, the number targeted and killed rose.

According to organizations that track violence against police, 56 officers have been killed by gunfire this year — 14% more than this time last year and about 45% ahead of 2020′s pace. The country is on track for the deadliest year since 67 officers were killed in 2016.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Friday to shut down the work of an independent arbiter who was appointed last month to review documents seized during an FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate.

The appeal is the latest salvo in weeks of litigation over the scope of duties of the arbiter, also known as a special master, who was assigned to inspect the records taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago and weed out any that may be protected by claims of legal privilege.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 14 (NNN-XINHUA) – UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said yesterday that, the renewal of a truce agreement that had just expired, remains possible and called for the engagement of the parties.

The truce in Yemen, first enforced on Apr 2, and renewed twice till its expiration on Oct 2, started to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni men and women, and offered a truly historic opportunity to build trust and to work towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday extended the COVID-19 pandemic's status as a public health emergency for another 90 days, thereby preserving measures like high payments to hospitals and expanded Medicaid.

The extension was announced by U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday. Last month, President Joe Biden said in an interview that "the pandemic is over," which prompted criticism from health experts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department has gotten a request from SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk to take over funding for his satellite network that has provided crucial battlefield communications for Ukrainian military forces during the war with Russia, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter not yet made public, said the issue has been discussed in meetings and senior leaders are weighing the matter. There have been no decisions.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to highlight his administration’s efforts to lower prescription drug costs on Friday as part of his three-state Western tour this week, as he confronts a sobering inflation report in the waning weeks before midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — What keeps driving inflation so high? The answer, it seems, is nearly everything.

Supply chain snarls and parts shortages inflated the cost of factory goods when the economy rocketed out of the pandemic recession two years ago. Then it was a surge in consumer spending fueled by federal stimulus checks. Then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted gas and food supplies and sent those prices skyward.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A 15-year-old boy fatally shot two people in the streets of a neighborhood in North Carolina’s capital city, then fled toward a walking trail where he opened fire, killing three more people and wounding two others, police said Friday.

Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson said the teen was hospitalized in critical condition following the shootings late Thursday afternoon. Authorities had not determined a motive.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Jan. 6 committee voted unanimously Thursday to subpoena former President Donald Trump, demanding his personal testimony as it unveiled startling new video and described his multi-part plan to overturn his 2020 election loss, which led to his supporters’ fierce assault on the U.S. Capitol.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13 (APP): A new report from the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released on Thursday, warns that half of the world’s countries are not protected by multi-hazard early warning systems.