Associated Press

U.S. job openings hit a record 10.1 million in June

By PAUL WISEMAN AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. employers posted a record 10.1 million job openings in June, another sign that the job market and economy are bouncing back briskly from last year’s coronavirus shutdowns. The Labor Department…

US hiring surges in July, unemployment rate drops to 5.4%

WASHINGTON (AP) - Hiring surged in July as American employers added 943,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% as the U.S. economy continues to bounce back with surprising vigor from last year’s coronavirus shutdown. The July numbers exceeded economists’…

Mississippi man and grandson die in crash of vintage plane

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi businessman and his grandson died in the crash of a vintage single-engine airplane in a wooded area northeast of Starkville. Oktibbeha County Coroner Michael Hunt says Gary Dedeaux and 13-year-old Luke Reed were pronounced…

US plans to require COVID-19 shots for foreign travelers

By ZEKE MILLER WASHINGTON (AP) - The Biden administration is taking the first steps toward requiring nearly all foreign visitors to the U.S. to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. That's according to a White House official who previewed the developing…

US jobless claims down 14,000 to 385,000 as economy rebounds

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week by 14,000 to 385,000, more evidence that the economy and the job market are rebounding briskly from the coronavirus recession. The Labor Department reported Thursday that…

CDC issues new eviction ban for most of US through Oct. 3

By JOSH BOAK, LISA MASCARO and JONATHAN LEMIRE WASHINGTON (AP) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium that would last until Oct. 3, as the Biden administration sought to quell intensifying criticism from progressives…

Pentagon IDs officer slain in attack as officials seek clues

By ERIC TUCKER, MICHAEL BALSAMO and MICHAEL BIESECKER WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal investigators were digging Wednesday into the background of a Georgia man who officials say fatally stabbed a Pentagon police officer at a transit station outside the building before…

Louisiana reinstates indoor mask mandate amid COVID surge

By MELINDA DESLATTE Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana is reenacting a statewide mask mandate for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents across all indoor locations, including schools and colleges. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ announcement Monday came as the…

Large meteor lights up skies in Norway

HELSINKI (AP) — Norwegian experts say an unusually large meteor was visible over large parts of southern Scandinavia and illuminated southeast Norway with a powerful flash of light for a few seconds as many observers were reported to also hear…

Biden asks states to offer the unvaccinated $100

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is asking states and localities to offer unvaccinated residents $100 to get their COVID-19 shots. The cash reward for vaccination was one idea in Biden’s latest plan to boost lagging vaccination rates in many parts…

ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill dies in his sleep at 72

HOUSTON (AP) — ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill, one of the Texas blues trio’s bearded figures, died at his Houston home, the band announced Wednesday on Facebook. He was 72. In their post, guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard…