NATIONAL NEWS

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER, ROBERT BURNS and ZEKE MILLER WASHINGTON (AP) — A defiant President Joe Biden rejected blame for chaotic scenes of Afghans clinging to U.S. military planes in Kabul in a desperate bid to…

By AHMAD SEIR, RAHIM FAIEZ, KATHY GANNON AND JOSEPH KRAUSS KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capital’s airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban…

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — With the highly contagious delta variant fueling a surge in coronavirus cases just as students return to classrooms, major school districts in Arizona, Florida, Texas and beyond…

By EMILY SWANSON and TOM MURPHY WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Americans have high trust in doctors, nurses and pharmacists, a new poll finds. Researchers say that trust could become important in the push to increase…

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP - Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to prevent, according to a report…

By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearing decision time, senators were struggling to wrap up work on the bipartisan infrastructure plan despite hopes to expedite consideration and voting on the nearly $1 trillion proposal.…

By MARI YAMAGUCHI TOKYO (AP) — Tokyo reported 5,042 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, its most since the pandemic began as infections surge in the Japanese capital hosting the Olympics. Tokyo has been under a…

By JIM SALTER O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday that he made good on his promise to pardon a couple who gained notoriety for pointing guns at social justice demonstrators as…

By ZEKE MILLER and DARLENE SUPERVILLE WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has donated and shipped more than 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 60 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zambia, the White…

By MICHAEL CASEY BOSTON (AP) — Evictions, which have mostly been on pause during the pandemic, were expected to ramp up Monday after the Biden administration allowed the federal moratorium to expire over the weekend…