Senate rejects competing bills to fund government, increasing risk of shutdown on Oct. 1
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate rejected competing measures to fund federal agencies for a few weeks when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, increasing prospects for a partial government shutdown on that date. Leaders of the two parties sought to blame the other side for the standoff. Democrats accused Republicans of not negotiating with them to address some of their priorities on health care as part of the funding measure. Republicans said Democrats were making demands that would dramatically increase spending and were not germane to the core issue of keeping the government open. It’s unclear how the two sides will be able to avoid a shutdown.
Trump asks the Supreme Court to allow him to enforce transgender and nonbinary passport policy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is asking the Supreme Court to let it enforce a passport policy for transgender and nonbinary people requiring male or female sex designations based on birth certificates. The Republican administration on Friday appealed a lower-court order allowing people use the gender or “X” identification marker that lines up with their gender identity. The government says it can’t be required to use sex designations it considers inaccurate on official identification documents. The plaintiffs say some transgender people had seen their passport applications returned with changed designations and others were afraid to submit applications. An attorney for the plaintiffs says the passport rules are discriminatory.
Trump says he and Xi will meet in South Korea in coming weeks and he'll later go to China
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says he’ll meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit taking place in October in South Korea and will visit China early next year. Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone call on Friday. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Xi would come to the United states and noted the leaders made progress on “the approval of the TikTok Deal” to allow the popular social media app to keep operating in the U.S. Trump hasn’t given details on what was discussed about TikTok. A Chinese government statement says Xi urged the U.S. to avoid any trade restrictions but didn't mention the visits.
Kennedy's vaccine advisers change COVID shot guidance, calling them an individual choice
ATLANTA (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisers added confusion Friday to this fall's COVID-19 vaccinations. For the first time since the shots were developed, the group has declined to recommend their use — instead leaving the choice up to those who want them. The Food and Drug Administration recently put new restrictions on this year’s shots from Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax, reserving them for people over 65 or younger ones at higher risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisers declined to recommend that those people seek a shot but narrowly avoided urging states to require a prescrption for those who want one.
Florida federal judge tosses Trump's $15B defamation lawsuit against The New York Times
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A Florida federal judge has tossed out a $15 billion defamation lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against The New York Times. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ruled Friday that Trump’s lawsuit was overly long and was full of “tedious and burdensome” language that had no bearing on the legal case. The judge gave Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint and said it should not exceed 40 pages. The lawsuit was 85 pages. It named four Times journalists and cited a book and three articles. A spokesman for Trump's legal team says they will proceed with the lawsuit. The Times has said it's meritless.
Kimmel’s rise from radio to cultural icon hits roadblock with ABC’s suspension of late-night TV show
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jimmy Kimmel has become a cultural fixture over two decades in late-night television, blending humor with political satire. He rose from Las Vegas radio to hosting prestigious events like the Oscars. His show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has been suspended indefinitely after comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC's decision followed backlash from major affiliates. Kimmel's career began in Las Vegas radio, and he rose to fame with Comedy Central's “Win Ben Stein’s Money.” He became the host of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in 2003. His future remains uncertain as his contract with ABC expires in 2026.
Clayton Kershaw soaks in the applause in his last regular-season home start at Dodger Stadium
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw gave up a home run while pitching his final regular-season home game for the Los Angeles Dodgers, receiving standing ovations from fans. This comes a day after he announced his retirement at the end of the season. Kershaw, 37, left the game with the Dodgers trailing 2-1, having given up two runs and four hits. Fans cheered as he walks off, waving and hugging teammates. Kershaw's career includes three Cy Young Awards and two World Series championships. His competitive spirit remains strong despite recent injuries. The Dodgers plan to honor him with a bobblehead giveaway on Saturday.
Trump signs proclamation adding $100K annual fee for H-1B visa applications
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation that will require a new, $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications. This move is among the changes to the program for highly skilled foreign workers, which has come under scrutiny by the administration. H-1B visas are intended to bring skilled foreigners for jobs that tech companies struggle to fill with U.S. citizens. Critics argue the program allows companies to pay lower wages and fill entry-level jobs. Historically, these visas have been distributed through a lottery system, with California having the highest number of H-1B workers.
What a new poll shows about where Americans think the country is heading
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new poll shows Republicans’ outlook on the direction of the country has soured dramatically. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll was conducted shortly after last week's assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah. The poll shows the share of Republicans who see the country headed in the right direction has fallen sharply in recent months. Today, only about half in the GOP see the nation on the right course, down from 70% in June. Overall, about one-quarter of Americans say things in the country are headed in the right direction, down from about 4 in 10 in June. Democrats and independents didn’t shift meaningfully.
Estonia says 3 Russian fighter jets entered its airspace in 'brazen' incursion
Estonia has summoned a Russian diplomat to protest after three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace without permission. The Foreign Ministry said the incursion on Friday lasted 12 minutes. This is the fifth time this year that Russia has violated Estonian airspace, but the Foreign Minister called this incident "unprecedentedly brazen." The airspace violation comes just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, raising concerns about the war in Ukraine spilling over. Russian officials have not yet commented on the incident.
