Jan 31 UN organizations rally around aid agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza as some donors cut funding By Jamey Keaten, Associated Press The United States and more than a dozen other countries have announced plans to suspend contributions to the agency known as UNRWA after Israel alleged that 12 of its thousands of workers participated in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel… Continue reading
Jan 31 Secretary of State Blinken set to return to the Mideast for 5th time since Gaza conflict began By Matthew Daly, Associated Press The trip comes as discussions over a cease-fire and hostage release are intensifying, but also as fears grow of a regional conflict. Continue reading
Jan 31 Chinese hackers are determined to 'wreak havoc' on U.S. critical infrastructure, FBI director Wray warns By Didi Tang, Eric Tucker, Associated Press FBI Director Chris Wray has told House lawmakers that Chinese government hackers are busily targeting critical infrastructure inside the United States, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems. Continue reading
Jan 31 Traffic-blocking farmers now closing in on EU capital in a protest seeking better market conditions By Raf Cassert, Associated Press The protests had an immediate impact. The European Commission announced plans to shield farmers from cheap exports from Ukraine during wartime and allow farmers to sidestep environmental rules. Continue reading
Jan 31 Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds of POWs despite tensions over a plane crash last week By Associated Press Russia and Ukraine said they have exchanged about 200 prisoners of war, despite tensions stemming from last week's crash of a military transport plane that Moscow claimed was carrying Ukrainian POWs and was shot down by Kyiv's forces. Continue reading
Jan 31 WATCH: White House says Biden will visit East Palestine, Ohio, a year after devastating train derailment By Darlene Superville, Associated Press Biden will visit East Palestine in February at the invitation of Mayor Trent Conaway and other local officials, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Continue reading
Jan 31 Trump meets with the Teamsters in bid to cut into Biden's union support By Jill Colvin, Tom Krisher, Associated Press Former President Donald Trump met with leaders of the Teamsters Union in Washington Wednesday as he tried to chip away at President Joe Biden's organized labor support heading into a likely general election rematch. Continue reading
Jan 31 WATCH: Federal Reserve signals that interest rate cuts aren't imminent and leaves them unchanged for now By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The Federal Reserve indicated Wednesday that it’s nearing a long-awaited shift toward cutting interest rates, a sign that its officials have grown confident that they're close to fully taming inflation. But the Fed also signaled that the first rate cut is likely… Continue reading
Jan 31 WATCH: Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in Senate hearing on child exploitation By Barbara Ortutay, Haleluya Hadero, Associated Press Sexual predators. Addictive features. Eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and advocates say companies are not doing enough to protect them. Continue reading
Jan 31 House Homeland Security Committee votes along party lines to advance Mayorkas impeachment By Lisa Mascaro, Rebecca Santana, Associated Press Mayorkas has been meeting with senators on a border security package and argues the Republicans should instead be working with the Biden administration on U.S.-Mexico border issues. Continue reading