COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A United Nations treaty abolishing nuclear weapons took effect Friday, though none of the nine countries with nuclear war capability, including the United States, signed it.

But support from leaders of 51 other nations that ratified The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons means nuclear weapons are now banned...Read more

WASHINGTON — A plurality of Missouri voters disapprove of Republican Sen. Josh Hawley two weeks after the U.S. Capitol riot, according to a new poll.

The Jan. 18 survey of 743 registered voters found that 49% disapprove of Hawley, the state’s junior senator, compared to 36% who approve of his job performance, according to The Morning ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Patricia Reber walked out of the vaccine clinic at L.A.'s Lincoln Park pumping her arms overhead like a champion. A friend told the 80-year-old she had waited four hours for a shot at Dodger Stadium, but Reber was in and out within 30 minutes.

"This was wonderful," Reber said from beneath a Kobe Bryant face mask. "I think ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A myriad of conservative voices are warning Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell against doing anything to facilitate a conviction of former President Donald Trump in an impeachment trial that he’s proposing begin next month.

“He has to keep the Republican caucus in line and make sure as few Republicans vote for impeachment...Read more

AUSTIN, Texas — Following through on his promise to sue the Biden administration early and often, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday asked a federal judge to block a new policy that pauses most deportations for the next 100 days.

The policy, which went into effect Friday, was announced by acting Department of Homeland Security ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A lawyer for the U.S. House of Representatives signaled that congressional Democrats will move aggressively during the Biden administration to obtain former President Donald Trump’s tax returns, telling a judge “enough is enough.”

“The House has been stymied for a long time,” the lawyer, Douglas Letter, said Friday at a...Read more

President Joe Biden took executive action Friday to expand access to unemployment and food aid while Congress begins considering his proposal for a sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus package amid continued economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

One executive order signed by Biden directs the Agriculture Department to provide 15% more in ...Read more

CHICAGO — A man who was discovered living at O’Hare International Airport for at least three months has left Cook County Jail after posting bail.

Aditya Singh, 36, was aided by the Chicago Bail Project, which came up with the $1,000 he needed to go free until his next court date after a $10,000 D-bond was set earlier, according to Cook ...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Three unnamed grand jurors and “other concerned citizens” have filed an impeachment petition against Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the latest petition to be filed after the Kentucky House of Representatives created an impeachment committee.

The petition accuses Cameron of misrepresenting the findings of the grand jury ...Read more

LONDON —The coronavirus pandemic may no longer be spreading exponentially in the U.K., according to government data suggesting the country’s third lockdown is working.

The official estimate of the “R rate” -- which measures how many people each infected person passes the virus on to -- fell to between 0.8 and 1, the results released on ...Read more

WASHINGTON — A female Capitol Police officer who alleges she was discriminated against by the department because of her gender and endured retaliation for sharing with the media a photo of a Capitol Police officer’s unattended gun is appealing U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly’s decision against her.

Lawyers for Officer Jodi Breiterman...Read more

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected, without comment, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' attempt to toss out four defamation lawsuits by parents of children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012.

The parents sued in Travis County, where Jones and his Infowars website are based, arguing that they were defamed and suffered...Read more

WASHINGTON — A QAnon adherent who was under investigation by the FBI sent messages last month saying that “World War 3” would occur on Jan. 6, court records show, the latest indication that federal agents knew about the potential for violence in the days leading to the storming of the U.S. Capitol.

Kevin Strong, an employee of the Federal...Read more

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden capped his first three days in the White House by signing executive actions aimed at addressing economic distress amid the coronavirus outbreak, but he has done little so far to appeal to Republicans, who are balking at his proposals for broader relief.

Biden on Friday signed orders that beef up worker rights,...Read more

ST. LOUIS – A lawyer for one of the men charged with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol said that former President Donald Trump's refusal to pardon Jacob Chansley and other Trump followers was a "betrayal."

Clayton lawyer Albert Watkins said in a statement Wednesday that he'd approached Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows ...Read more

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE will supply as many as 40 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine to Covax, a global alliance many poorer countries are relying on to protect their populations.

Shipments will start in the first quarter and continue throughout 2021, the companies said in a statement. The agreement follows pacts with AstraZeneca Plc, ...Read more