Obstruction now a major focus in Trump documents probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI investigation into the presence of top-secret information at Mar-a-Lago is zeroing in on the question of whether former President Donald Trump’s team obstructed the probe. A court filing late Tuesday alleges that government records were concealed and removed and that law enforcement officials were misled about the continued presence of classified documents at the property. That allegation does not necessarily mean that Trump or anyone else will ultimately face charges. But it could pose the most direct legal threat to Trump and those in his orbit, in part because Justice Department officials have historically regarded obstruction as an aggravating factor that tilts in favor of bringing criminal charges in investigations involving the mishandling of classified information.
UN cites possible crimes vs. humanity in China’s Xinjiang
GENEVA (AP) — A long-awaited report from the U.N. human rights office says China’s discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the western region of Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity. The report released Wednesday calls for an urgent response over allegations of torture and other rights violations in Beijing’s campaign to root out terrorism in Xinjiang. U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet brushed aside China’s vocal calls for her office not to release the report. Beijing contends the report is part of a Western campaign to smear China’s reputation. The report largely corroborates earlier reporting by advocacy groups and cites “patterns of torture” and arbitrary detention under China’s policies to fight extremism.
Reading, math scores fell sharply during pandemic, data show
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new national study finds math and reading scores for America’s 9-year-old students fell sharply during the pandemic, underscoring the impact of two years of learning disruptions. Reading scores saw their largest decrease in 30 years, while math scores had their first decrease in the history of the testing regimen done by the National Center for Education Statistics, a branch of the federal government. A federal official said students are performing “at a level last seen two decades ago.” In math, the average score for 9-year-old students fell 7 percentage points between 2020 and 2022. The average reading score fell 5 points.
Peltola beats Palin, wins Alaska House special election
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Democrat Mary Peltola has won the special election for Alaska’s only U.S. House seat, besting a field that included Republican Sarah Palin. Peltola, who is Yup’ik, will become the first Alaska Native to serve in the House and the first woman elected to Alaska’s House seat, which was held for 49 years by Republican Don Young. Young died in March. This was the first statewide ranked choice voting election in Alaska. Peltola’s victory is a boon for Democrats, particularly coming off better-than-expected performances in special elections around the country this year following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Peltola says she is honored and humbled by the support she’s received.
US clears updated COVID boosters targeting newest variants
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators have authorized updated COVID-19 boosters, the first to directly target today’s most common omicron strain. The move on Wednesday by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna. The hope is that the modified boosters will blunt yet another winter surge. Until now, vaccines have targeted the original coronavirus. The new boosters are half that original recipe and half protection against the newest omicron versions. Before shots begin, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must recommend who should get the additional dose. CDC’s advisers will debate that Thursday.
No more ‘nuance’: Democrats slam GOP abortion-rights backers
DENVER (AP) — The few Republican candidates across the U.S. this year who say they support abortion rights still find themselves under attack on the issue. The message from Democrats is that no Republican can be trusted to protect abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade in June. In Colorado, that strategy has put the GOP’s U.S. Senate candidate on the defensive. Republican Joe O’Dea says he would back a law to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade, though he opposes abortions after 20 weeks except in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life of the mother.
UN inspectors head to Ukraine nuclear plant in war zone
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — United Nations inspectors are making their way toward Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Theirs is a long-anticipated mission that the world hopes will help secure the Russian-held facility in the middle of a war zone and avoid catastrophe. Underscoring the danger, Kyiv and Moscow again accused each other on Wednesday of attacking the area around Europe’s biggest nuclear plant. In recent days, the plant was temporarily knocked offline because of fire damage to transmission line. That heightened fears that fighting could lead to a massive radiation leak or even a reactor meltdown. The risks are so severe that officials have begun distributing anti-radiation iodine tablets to nearby residents.
Serena beats No. 2 seed Kontaveit at US Open to reach 3rd Rd
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams has eliminated No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 in the U.S. Open’s second round to ensure that the 23-time Grand Slam champion will play at least one more singles match. The 40-year-old Williams has hinted this will be the last tournament of her illustrious career. Williams missed about a year of action before returning to the tour in late June at Wimbledon. She lost in the first round there and was 1-3 in 2022 entering the U.S. Open, where she is 2-0 so far this week. She beat Danka Kovinic in the first round before following that up against Kontaveit on Wednesday night in front of a full house at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jackson water crisis forces residents to find alternatives
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — People are waiting in lines for water in Jackson, Mississippi, after the partial failure of the the city water system. Some homes and businesses have running water, but many do not. Flooding of the Pearl River worsened longstanding problems in one of two water-treatment plants. President Joe Biden has declared an emergency over the water problems in Mississippi’s capital city. Biden called the city’s mayor Wednesday to discuss response efforts. A city news release said the main water-treatment plant had “challenges with water chemistry” Wednesday, which led to a drop in output of water. That caused depletion of water tanks and a sharp decrease in water pressure.