North America

HOUSTON (AP) — Joe Biden parried attack after attack from liberal rivals Thursday night on everything from health care to immigration in a debate that showcased profound ideological divides between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings.

The prime-time debate also elevated several struggling candidates, giving them a chance to introduce themselves to millions of Americans who are just beginning to follow the race.

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. economy is sending some worrying signals about a possible recession, yet the stock market has gone on a what-me-worry ride toward record heights.

What gives?

Put simply, while the stock market watches the economy, the two don’t always move in lockstep. If investors see that companies are still bringing in profits, and stocks don’t appear too expensive, they’ll risk an investment even if the economy hasn’t gotten an all-clear on the recession watch.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers investigating the market dominance of Big Tech on Friday asked Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple for a broad range of documents, marking a step forward in Congress’ bipartisan probe of the companies.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — An Ohio gamer upset about a $1.50 bet while playing Call of Duty: WWII online was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison for recruiting a prankster to make a bogus emergency call that resulted in the fatal shooting of a Kansas man by police.

Casey Viner, 19, of North College Hill, Ohio, also is restricted from gaming activity for two years while he is on supervised release after serving his prison term, U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren said in announcing the sentence.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California police have arrested a woman who threw a feminine hygiene device containing “what appeared to be blood” onto the floor of the state Senate, splashing onto lawmakers and forcing them to finish their work in a committee room on the final day of the legislative session.

Senators had just finished taking a vote about 5:14 p.m. Friday when a woman tossed the substance onto the floor of the Senate from the public gallery, saying: “That’s for the dead babies.”

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The opioid crisis has hit virtually every pocket of the U.S., from rural towns in deeply conservative states to big cities in liberal-leaning ones. But a curious divide has opened up.

The nation’s Republican state attorneys general have, for the most part, lined up in support of a tentative multibillion-dollar settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, while their Democratic counterparts have mostly come out against it, decrying it as woefully inadequate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House intelligence committee has issued a subpoena to the acting Director of National Intelligence, saying Joseph Maguire is withholding a whistleblower complaint from Congress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Beto O’Rourke’s “hell yes” moment at the Democrats’ presidential debate is scrambling his party’s message on guns.

The Democrats have long contended their support of gun control laws does not mean they want to take away law-abiding citizens’ firearms. But on Friday, they struggled to square that message with their presidential contender’s full-throated call on national TV for confiscating assault rifles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elizabeth Warren has a plan for that. But on health care, she’s with Bernie.

Warren, a Massachusetts senator and a leading liberal Democratic presidential candidate, has stood out in the 2020 race for her extraordinary focus on detailed plans to address the nation’s most pressing issues. Her website lists specific policies for 43 topics: gun violence, Social Security, the Electoral College and even family farmers.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 13 (APP): Pakistan has called on the UN Security Council to demand an end to India’s repressive military lockdown of occupied Kashmir, now in its second month, and move to implement its resolutions pledging the right of self-determination to the long-suffering Kashmiri people.

“This travesty must end,” Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said in a firm tone during a UN General Assembly debate on the annual report of the 15-member Council on Thursday.