WASHINGTON Envisioning “a very special moment for world peace,” President Donald Trump announced Thursday he will meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un for highly anticipated summit talks in Singapore on June 12. He set the stage for his announcement by hosting a 3 a.m., made-for-TV welcome home for three Americans held by Kim’s government. “We […]

WASHINGTON A White House official dismissed a view expressed by Sen. John McCain about President Donald Trump’s CIA nominee, saying Thursday at a staff meeting that “it doesn’t matter” because “he’s dying anyway,” two people in the room told The Associated Press. Kelly Sadler was discussing McCain’s opposition to Trump’s pick for CIA director, Gina […]

PAHOA, Hawaii A Hawaii volcano that sputtered lava for a week, forced around 2,000 residents to evacuate, destroyed some two dozen homes and threatened a geothermal plant now threatens to blow its top in the coming days or weeks. Experts fear it could hurl ash and boulders the size of refrigerators miles into the air. […]

ELKHART, Ind. Embracing his role as party leader, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning at a rally Thursday that Democrats would disrupt the economic progress of his administration, imploring Republicans to mobilize during the 2018 midterm elections. Trump used one of his signature rallies in northern Indiana to paint a rosy picture of his […]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Feeling no relief from anti-incumbent Republican primaries, Democratic senators in GOP-leaning states are working to convince voters they’re free of Washington’s stigma. The Democrats seeking reelection this fall in states Republican Donald Trump carried — the battlefront in the fight for Senate control — are portraying themselves as independent actors and known entities […]

Iraqis vote Saturday in the first parliamentary election since the country declared victory over the Islamic State extremist group. The balloting is expected to be a referendum on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s tenure and his pledge to be more inclusive of Iraq’s Sunni minority. Entrenched corruption, the influence of Iran and the future of U.S. […]

BEIRUT U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate halt to “all hostile acts” to avoid “a new conflagration” in the Middle East after Israeli forces bombed Iranian targets inside Syria. Guterres’ comments came as a calm night followed intense attacks on parts of Syria by Israel. Israel said the strikes early Thursday were retaliation […]

CARPINTERIA, Calif. This picturesque coastal town cradled by mountains and sandy shores is a scene out of a Southern California postcard. Residents of Carpinteria say they feel lucky to live in what they consider a slice of paradise. But change is in the air. And sometimes, they say, it stinks. That’s because marijuana has become […]