BEIJING — An extraordinary display of power and precision along Tiananmen Square greeted President Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday, kicking off a two-day summit with particularly high stakes for the Americans.

It was not immediately clear what the two sides had accomplished in their first day of meetings. But carefully choreographed ...Read more

The voyage was marketed for explorers eager to venture to "the edges of the map," from Antarctica to some of the most remote islands in the world.

It would be a tantalizing trip for tourists with an appetite for adventure — less about trips to the spa and lounging by the pool than a chance to see landscapes few humans have ever laid eyes upon...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Health officials have identified another California resident who was exposed to the deadly hantavirus strain that spread on a Dutch cruise ship and killed three people.

This brings the total count of exposed Golden State residents to five, all of whom are currently asymptomatic, according to the California Department of Public ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Hours before Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to present his budget plan on Thursday, his office released new projections of a $16.5-billion state revenue windfall over three years and offered a rosy outlook on California's fiscal position during his final year in office and the year after.

Newsom's office provided few ...Read more

Wes Streeting resigned as Keir Starmer’s health secretary, paving the way for him to challenge the U.K. prime minister for his job.

“It is now clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election and that Labour MPs and Labour Unions want the debate about what comes next,” Streeting said in a letter to Starmer that...Read more

After Xi Jinping regaled Donald Trump with goose-stepping soldiers and flag-waving children, the Chinese leader’s warning that Taiwan could lead to “clashes” between the superpowers amounted to a thunderclap in the choreographed world of Communist Party politics.

Cautioning American presidents against interfering with the self-ruled ...Read more

Like Americans today, the people living in the United States in 1826 were preparing to celebrate a milestone for their country. July Fourth of that year marked the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

As what was known as the “Jubilee” of American independence approached, Americans realized that the founding ...Read more

In recent months, some prominent conservatives and erstwhile allies of President Donald Trump – former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Megyn Kelly, for example – have voiced their displeasure with him on several issues. They range from Trump’s handling of the Iran war and the economy to the release of information ...Read more

I teach writing and rhetoric, but my college students and I often overlook a surprisingly complicated question: What is writing?

And can artificial intelligence really do it?

Many people think of “writing” as putting words on a page. However, even from very early on, writers have seen their craft as something more. From ...Read more

Talk of a “super El Niño” developing in 2026 is gaining momentum, with concerns rising that this climate pattern could bring extreme rainfall, heat, drought and destructive flooding around the world.

The signals appear to be in place: The tropical Pacific is warming along the equator, and computer models point toward extreme ...Read more

U.S. efforts to end the war with Iran were dealt a setback after a commercial vessel was apparently seized by unauthorized personnel near the United Arab Emirates, increasing uncertainty over control of the critical Strait of Hormuz.

The ship, whose identity wasn’t immediately clear, was taken 38 nautical miles off the UAE coast and is now ...Read more

(Bloomberg) — Keir Starmer’s efforts to hold back a potential leadership challenge showed new cracks, as allies of leading Labour Party rivals signaled they were ready to challenge him for the prime minister’s job.

Starmer’s former No. 2, Angela Rayner, indicated on Thursday that she was preparing for a bid to lead the governing Labour...Read more

President Donald Trump is wielding power in unprecedented ways to bring states to heel, marking a dark new chapter in the relationship between the federal government and the states.

Since taking office last year, Trump has punished Democratic-led states that anger him by withholding federal funding and slow-walking assistance. His ...Read more

ABOARD THE MOLLY B, on the Salish Sea — They are big. They are beautiful. And they are back.

The return of the humpback whale to greater numbers than observed in decades is part of a larger revival of marine mammals in the Salish Sea. It is an astonishing sight of life rebounding, with exception of the endangered southern residents orcas.

On...Read more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The last known act of Ana Knezevich’s life was to finalize the sale of a house in Oakland Park.

Within hours of signing the deal, the 40-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman disappeared from her apartment in Madrid, murdered by her husband, David, according to federal officials. Now, a civil complaint filed May 1 by her ...Read more

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Cori Roberts was living in a rented basement four years ago when she was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer.

Recently divorced, the former stay-at-home mother had started working again in her mid-40s, taking a human resources job that paid $41,000 a year. Then, despite having insurance, she was hit with more than $8...Read more

MENAHGA, Minn. — The culture in this north central Minnesota city is defined by faith, farming and Finnish heritage.

A statue of St. Urho, the fictional patron saint of Finland, stands 12 feet tall in the middle of Menahga. Pews in the Lutheran churches, which outnumber bars and restaurants in this community of 1,400, fill each Sunday with ...Read more

HORNBROOK, Calif. — The expeditionary force, a squad of officers from the Los Angeles Police Department, deployed to this rugged little mountain town near the Oregon border with a singular mission.

Stationing themselves along the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, the officers eyeballed passengers on California-bound trains, looking for hints...Read more