North America

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Uvalde’s embattled school police chief on Wednesday could become the first officer to lose his job over the hesitant response by hundreds of heavily armed law enforcement personnel during the May massacre at Robb Elementary School.

The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District was set to make a decision on Pete Arredondo’s future, three months to the day after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in one of the deadliest classroom attacks in U.S. history.

The meeting comes less than two weeks before the new school year begins in Uvalde.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his long-awaited plan to deliver on his campaign promise to provide $10,000 in debt cancellation for millions of Americans — and up to $10,000 more for those with the greatest financial need.

WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Washington is “deeply concerned” about a recent flare-up of violence along Syria’s northern border with Turkey, a State Department spokesman said.

“The United States is deeply concerned about recent attacks along Syria’s northern border and urges all parties to maintain ceasefire lines,” said spokesman Ned Price, days after increased bombardments in the area reportedly killed at least 21 civilians — including children.

TORONTO, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday that Germany planned to deliver further arms to Ukraine, worth more than 500 million euros ($498.55 million), a source told Reuters.

A participant at an online conference on Ukraine, which took place in Toronto, said that Germany planned to supply three additional Iris-T air defence systems, a dozen armoured recovery vehicles, 20 rocket launchers, precision ammunition and anti-drone systems.

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday stressed the need to reforge a global consensus around the cooperation required to ensure collective security.

"Our collective security demands that we seize every moment to forge a common understanding of the threats and challenges before us -- and most importantly, to shape united responses to them," he told a Security Council briefing on promoting common security through dialogue and cooperation.

DENVER, the United States, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The record drought in America's Southwest can be seen from 35,000 kilometers above Earth.

Recently released surveillance from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) showed areas where the historic "mega-drought" has left gigantic "bathtub rings" on the country's largest reservoirs and vast, parched areas, which now can be seen from outer space.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Archives recovered 100 documents bearing classified markings, totaling more than 700 pages, from an initial batch of 15 boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, according to newly public government correspondence with the Trump legal team.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide were arrested Tuesday on federal charges including bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Their indictments follow the abrupt resignation in March of Republican Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges involving Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Speculation has swirled about what additional charges might come in the corruption probe.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday called a special session of the Legislature beginning Sept. 1 to use the state’s projected $2 billion budget surplus for a record $500 million income tax rebate this year to help residents deal with increased food and gas prices due to inflation.

The Republican governor also proposed an ongoing tax cut of more than $150 million annually by creating a corporate and individual flat tax rate of 5.8% starting next year. The first $2,500 of income for individuals and $5,000 for those filing jointly would be exempt from taxes.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in afternoon trading on Wall Street Tuesday, but remain in the red for the week following the biggest pullback in the S&P 500 since mid-June.

The S&P 500 fell 0.1% as of 12:08 p.m. Eastern. The benchmark index is down 2.2% for the week following a sell-off on Monday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 127 points, or 0.4%, to 32,935 and the Nasdaq rose 0.1%.

Energy stocks made solid gains as U.S. crude oil prices rose 3.7%. Exxon Mobil gained 3.8%.