Latest Government programs News

Baltic states and Poland seek EU funds for a massive border defense line

Sep. 28, 2024 08:33 AM EDT

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland will seek European Union funding to build a network of bunkers, barriers, distribution lines and military warehouses along their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonia’s officials said Saturday. The three Baltic...

Tips for shopping for Medicare Advantage plans

Sep. 28, 2024 09:09 AM EDT

Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider. People eligible for the federal government’s Medicare program will have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to sign up for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans, which are...

Medicare Advantage shopping season arrives with a dose of confusion and some political implications

Sep. 28, 2024 09:06 AM EDT

Thinner benefits and coverage changes await many older Americans shopping for health insurance this fall. That’s if their plan is even still available in 2025. More than a million people will probably have to find new coverage as major insurers cut costs and pull back from markets...

Mexico's president touts austerity on his way out of office but lavishes largesse on friends

Sep. 27, 2024 15:40 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s outgoing president has always taken pride in his reputation as a penny-pincher but on Friday, three days before leaving office, Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced generous cash giveaways for his allies in a radical union movement. It was part of...

Argentina's poverty rate spikes in first 6 months of President Milei's shock therapy

Sep. 26, 2024 21:46 PM EDT

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina's poverty rate jumped from almost 42% to 53% during the first six months of Javier Milei' s presidency, the statistics agency reported Thursday, a steep rise reflecting the pain of the country's most intense austerity program in recent memory. ...

The UN's nuclear chief says the world needs to pursue dialogue with North Korea over nuclear weapons

Sep. 26, 2024 17:28 PM EDT

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The world must recognize that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons and pursue dialogue despite its violations of U.N. sanctions and international law, the United Nations' nuclear chief said Thursday. In an interview with The Associated Press. Rafael Grossi,...

Companies back away from Oregon floating offshore wind project as opposition grows

Sep. 26, 2024 12:46 PM EDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The number of companies planning to bid on a chance to develop a floating offshore wind project off the Oregon coast has been dwindling as opposition to the plan remains strong. The federal government finalized two areas for floating offshore wind farms along...

Philadelphia mayor reveals the new 76ers deal to build an arena downtown

Sep. 26, 2024 11:35 AM EDT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia's mayor has revealed the terms of the deal negotiated with the city's pro basketball team for a new $1.3 billion arena downtown. The agreement reached earlier this month calls for the Philadelphia 76ers to finance the entire project, with no city...

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid falls to lowest level in 4 months

Sep. 26, 2024 09:09 AM EDT

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level in four months. The Labor Department reported Thursday that applications for jobless claims fell by 4,000 to 218,000 for the week of Sept. 21. It was the fewest since mid-May and less than...

Who will replace Kishida to become Japan's new prime minister?

Sep. 26, 2024 01:44 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — The governing party of outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida holds a key vote Friday that will establish a new national leader. The vote is limited to the long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party's parliamentarians and dues-paying members. Because the party's...