Negligence suspected in Beirut blast involving chemicals

BEIRUT (AP) — Investigators began searching through the wreckage of Beirut’s port Wednesday for clues to the cause of the massive explosion that ripped across the Lebanese capital, and the government ordered port officials put under house arrest amid speculation that negligence was to blame. The...

Chicago schools to begin fall remotely, dropping hybrid plan

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago’s mayor on Wednesday announced that the nation’s third-largest school district will not welcome students back to the classroom, after all, and will instead rely only on remote instruction to start the school year. The city's decision to abandon its plan to have students...

Former officer who shot Rayshard Brooks sues over firing

ATLANTA (AP) — The former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks is suing the mayor and interim police chief, saying his firing violated his constitutional rights and the city code. Meanwhile, prosecutors have asked a judge to revoke his bond. Garrett Rolfe was fired June 13, the day after...

Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan wins Democratic primary after challenge from Detroit City Council president

Endangered GOP senators are driving force for virus deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — A small but singularly influential group is a driving force for an agreement on a stalled coronavirus relief bill: endangered Senate GOP incumbents who need to win this fall if Republicans are going to retain control of the majority. Confronted with a poisonous political environment,...

Virus keeps tourists from Africa's great wildlife migration

MAASAI MARA, Kenya (AP) — One of nature's most spectacular sights, East Africa's great wildebeest migration, went largely unwatched this year as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic are felt as far as the continent's wilderness. Travel restrictions kept tourists away for the annual wildlife migration in...

St. Louis prosecutor chided by Trump wins primary race

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, whose job performance has been lauded by some civil rights activists and criticized by President Donald Trump and other leading Republicans, held off a challenge from a former homicide prosecutor in Tuesday’s primary election. Gardner, 44,...

Minneapolis commission takes up proposal to disband police

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis commission is expected to take up a proposed amendment Wednesday that would dismantle the city’s Police Department in the wake of George Floyd's death and replace it with a new public safety department. A majority of the City Council backs the idea, with supporters...

The Latest: Japan governor touts gargling product for virus

TOKYO — A governor in Japan is drawing skeptical criticism after he touted a gargling product as effective against the coronavirus, an assertion that, despite its dubiousness, emptied some store shelves of the medicine. Shares of Shionogi & Co. and Meiji Holdings Co., which make Isojin, soared in Tokyo...

Tropic storm Isaias whips up eastern US, killing at least 6

WINDSOR, N.C. (AP) — At least six people were killed as Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain Tuesday along the U.S. East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people. Two people died when Isaias spun off a...