WASHINGTON (AP) — Diplomats sat beside stacks of briefing papers, flanked by flags and emphasized their closeness. But they were geographically far apart Friday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, because of the pandemic, started a new chapter in North American relations with virtual visits to Mexico and Canada in what was billed as his first official trip.
CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Nevada's governor on Friday unveiled a proposal that would allow technology companies to establish jurisdictions with powers similar to those of county governments, arguing the state needed to be bold to diversify its economy and pushing back against those who have likened the idea to company towns.
Chief executives of the nation's largest passenger and cargo airlines met with key Biden administration officials Friday to talk about reducing emissions from airplanes and push incentives for lower-carbon aviation fuels.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Arabia's crown prince likely approved the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday that instantly ratcheted up pressure on the Biden administration to hold the kingdom accountable for a murder that drew worldwide outrage.
The House of Representatives is poised to push through a massive pandemic relief bill Friday night that would send thousands in stimulus checks and child tax credits to families and billions to communities and businesses around the country.
NEW YORK (AP) — A photographer who was shoved by a man who then came at him with a metal pole during a trip on the Staten Island ferry on Friday was able to get out of harm's way when New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang intervened.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday that Iran should view his decision to authorize U.S. airstrikes in Syria as a warning that it can expect consequences for its support of militia groups that threaten U.S. interests or personnel.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Prosecutors in New Orleans moved Friday to have convictions overturned for 22 people found guilty of felonies by non-unanimous juries, and to review hundreds of other such convictions obtained under a law with roots in the Jim Crow era.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California expects to start administering the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week and to receive more than 1.1 million of the single-dose shots in the next three weeks, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health advisers endorsed a one-dose COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson on Friday, putting the nation on the cusp of adding an easier-to-use option to fight the pandemic.
A member of the Oath Keepers militia group charged with plotting with other extremists in the attack on the U.S. Capitol disavowed the anti-government group in a court hearing Friday, telling the judge she is “appalled” by her fellow Oath Keepers and “humiliated” by her arrest.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Top Republicans in the North Dakota House called Friday for GOP state Rep. Luke Simons to resign following a report that alleges a pattern of threats and sexual harassment.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's budget outlook has swung from a near $1.3 billion deficit to an almost $1.6 billion surplus, state economists announced Friday, an improvement that could ease the big debates for the rest of the legislative session over taxes and spending.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — California is freeing up as much as $28 million to help immigrants arriving from Mexico and being released in the U.S. until their court dates, a sharp contrast from other border states that have emerged as foes of President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday rejected a bill that would compel the state's 115 K-12 public school districts to reopen with at least partial in-person instruction, while also allowing parents the option of keeping their kids learning remotely.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's top health officials revealed Friday that the state has requested federal law enforcement investigate alleged theft of coronavirus vaccine doses in the state's most populous county.
ATLANTA (AP) — A group of Georgia Democrats held a two-hour sit-in Friday on a stairway at the state Capitol after one Democratic lawmaker said it was improper that a police officer had physically moved her away while Democrats were protesting bills that would restrict voting and elections.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate advanced a bill Friday that would allow the state to waive the overpayment of some unemployment claims, but bickered over the long delays many people have endured in seeking jobless assistance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
MIDDLESEX, Vt. (AP) — The town meeting, for centuries, was a staple of New England life — but the coronavirus pandemic could accelerate the departure from the tradition where people gather to debate everything from the purchase of local road equipment to multimillion-dollar budgets to pressing social issues.
Several of former President Donald Trump's closest Republican allies in the House have skipped Friday's votes and enlisted their colleagues to vote on their behalf, signing letters saying they can't attend "due to the ongoing public health emergency."
Here’s what’s happening Friday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:
The choice not to punish Prince Mohammed directly puts into sharp relief the type of decision-making that becomes more complicated for a president versus a candidate, and demonstrates the difficulty in breaking with a troublesome ally in a volatile region.
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Protesters took to the streets of Algiers and other cities around Algeria Friday in a bid to restart weekly pro-democracy demonstrations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Friday that would create about 1.5 million acres of new wilderness and incorporate nearly 1,200 miles of waterways into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System as Democrats move to protect more public lands — with President Joe Biden's blessing.
