Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is seeking to drastically reduce the amount of plastics and other packaging material that’s tossed out once a package is opened. Lots of packaging that keeps items safe during shipping routinely ends up in landfills or as environmental pollution. Among that packaging is bubble wrap, air-filled plastic
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Mali’s armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday. Malian armed forces and the Russia-backed Wagner Group deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, including seven in a
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators have approved permits for underground carbon dioxide storage for a massive pipeline proposed for the Midwest. The approval Thursday is another victory for Summit Carbon Solutions, whose project has faced fierce opposition from landowners. The proposed 2,500-mile, $8 billion pipeline would transport carbon dioxide emissions from
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is considering charging fees on producers of fossil fuels to help the state that is home to several oil and gas facilities fight the effects of climate change. The bill aims to create a Climate Superfund similar to the pot of money assembled by the federal government
Continue ReadingAssociated Press THOMASTON, Maine (AP) — Kaja Veilleux has been hunting New England attic treasures for more than 50 years. He once found a copy of the Declaration of Independence sitting on a pile of trash, and he made headlines this year when he stumbled upon a million-dollar portrait gathering dust in an old farmhouse
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail in an ice bar or even
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Australian government says it will tax large digital platforms and search engines unless they agree to share revenue with Australian news media organizations. Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones and Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Thursday the tax would apply from Jan. 1 to tech companies that earn more than
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The Biden administration has announced it is raising tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses. The notice from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said tariffs on solar wafers and polysilicon will rise to 50% from 25% and 25% duties
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’s picking Kari Lake as director of Voice of America, installing a staunch loyalist who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor and a Senate seat to head the congressionally funded broadcaster that provides independent news reporting around the world. Lake, an immigration hard-liner, was a
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NASARAWA, Nigeria (AP) — Dressed in a faded pink dress, 6-year-old Juliet Samaniya squats under scorching skies to chip at a jagged white rock with a stone tool. Dust coats her tiny hands and her hair as she works hour after hour for less than a dollar a day. The landscape around her
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NASARAWA, Nigeria (AP) — Growing demand for the lithium used in batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage has created a new frontier for mining in Nigeria. But it’s led to exploitation of children who are often poor and take work in small, illegal mines to support themselves and their families. The Associated
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea will gain its own team in Australia’s rugby league in a soft diplomacy deal linked to limiting Chinese influence in the South Pacific. The Australian government will spend $380 million over a decade to add a team from its nearest neighbor to the National Rugby League
Continue ReadingNEW YORK (AP) — Woody Allen’s former personal chef has filed a lawsuit against the filmmaker and his wife Soon-Yi Previn. In it, the chef, Hermie Fajardo, claims the couple fired him because he took time off to train with the U.S. Army Reserves and raised questions about his pay. Representatives for Allen did not
Continue ReadingAn Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting by visiting sports teams. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he’s introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines
Continue ReadingAssociated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges, vowing Thursday to “fight to the end” in response to attempts to impeach him and intensifying investigations into last week’s dramatic move. The main opposition Democratic Party quickly
Continue ReadingCARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The government of Argentina has accused its Venezuelan counterpart of continually harassing six members of the political opposition who have been sheltering for months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas. The government of President Javier Milei on Wednesday also urged the Organization of American States to pressure Venezuela to allow
Continue ReadingAP Sports Writers Bill Belichick had seemingly been waiting for the right opportunity to return to an NFL sideline. Instead, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is headed to the college ranks to take over at North Carolina. The school announced it had reached a five-year deal with Belichick on Wednesday night, roughly a week
Continue ReadingMEXICO CITY (AP) — Gunmen have shot to death a state judge outside a court building in the violence-wracked Pacific coast resort of Acapulco in Mexico. The prosecutors’ office in the southern state of Guerrero said they were reviewing security camera footage to try to identify the killers. The attack on Wednesday killed Edmundo Román
Continue ReadingAssociated Press KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Two men have been freed after their convictions were overturned in a 2009 double homicide whose investigation was overseen by a discredited Kansas City, Kansas, police detective. Forty-year-old Dominique Moore said he was “thankful and blessed” after his release Wednesday from a state prison. Cheers greeted 34-year-old Cedric
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer TOKYO (AP) — Embattled Japanese automaker Nissan has tapped Jeremie Papin as its chief financial officer in a major management reshuffle billed as key to a turnaround. The move, announced in the United States Thursday, means Papin, chairman of Nissan’s Americas Management Committee, replaces Stephen Ma, who will oversee Nissan Motor Corp.’s
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