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McCarthy sends Republican debt limit negotiators to White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday he was sending Republican negotiators to the White House to finish out debt limit talks, but warned that the two sides are “still far apart” as they try to reach a budget deal with President Joe Biden. McCarthy said he remained optimistic they could make progress in hopes of an agreement before a deadline as soon as next week, when the Treasury Department could run out of cash to pay its bills. “We’re not going to default,” said McCarthy, R-Calif. Defiant, the speaker said “it’s not my fault” that ...

High Court won’t hear dispute over barring sale of foie gras

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t get involved in a dispute over a California animal cruelty law that bars foie gras from being sold in the state, leaving in place a lower court ruling dismissing the case. Foie gras is made from the enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese, and animal welfare groups had supported the law. As is typical, the court did not comment in declining to hear the case, and it was among many the court said Monday it would not hear. The law doesn’t completely bar Californians from eating foie gras in the state. Courts have ...

Biden declares ‘America will not default,’

WASHINGTON (AP) — An optimistic President Joe Biden declared Wednesday he is confident the U.S. will avoid an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic debt default, saying talks with congressional Republicans have been productive. He left for a G-7 summit in Japan but planned to return by ...

Goodbye, fish and chips? New England haddock imperiled by overfishing

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A staple seafood species caught by East Coast fishers for centuries is experiencing overfishing, and regulators have cut catch quotas by more than 80% to prevent the fish’s population from collapse. Haddock are one of the most popular Atlantic fish, and a favorite ...

Writers strike felt in missing NBC stars, absence of Fox schedule for TV sales pitches

NEW YORK (AP) — The impact of the Hollywood writers strike was felt as major television networks began their annual week of sales presentations to advertisers on Monday, with news personalities like Willie Geist and Stephanie Ruhle left to hawk comedies and dramas for NBC Universal. Fox declined to announce a fall television schedule on Monday, citing uncertainties created by the strike. Some 11,500 members of the Writers Guild for America, saying the rise of streaming has hurt their earning power, walked off the job two weeks after talks on a new contract broke down, and haven't ...

McCarthy: No movement on debt ceiling in Biden meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday after meeting with President Joe Biden and congressional leaders that he “didn’t see any new movement” toward ending a months-long impasse over raising the nation’s borrowing limit and averting a potential first-ever U.S. ...