North America

NEW YORK, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Most Americans have an unfavorable view of the U.S. Supreme Court's consequential decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion, a new poll conducted by Pew Research Center found.

Roughly six-in-ten American adults disapproved of the ruling, with 43 percent saying they strongly disapproved, according to the poll released on Wednesday. The sentiment was largely split along political party lines, as most Democrats polled disapproved of the decision and most Republicans approved of it.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson endorsed construction company co-owner Tim Michels for governor on Friday, after Thompson decided against a run earlier this year.

Michels also won the backing of former President Donald Trump last month. Polls show Michels is in a tight primary race with former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The mayor of Uvalde on Friday disputed a new report that alleges missed chances to quickly end the massacre at a Texas elementary school, again reflecting the lack of definitive answers about the slow law enforcement response to one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — As missed warning signs pile up in investigations of mass killings, New York state is rolling out a novel strategy to screen applicants for gun permits. People seeking to carry concealed handguns will be required to hand over lists of their social media accounts for a review of their “character and conduct.”

It’s an approach applauded by many Democrats and national gun control advocacy groups, but some experts have raised questions about how the law will be enforced and address free speech concerns.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In 2020, Black Lives Matter protesters were doused with tear gas, making them gasp for breath, their eyes feeling as if they were on fire. Bystanders, including children and pregnant women, were also exposed.

As police responded to mass protests across the nation two years ago with tear gas and other chemical munitions, more than a dozen U.S. senators asked the congressional watchdog to find out whether federal agencies have assessed how safe they are.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Concerns about inflation and personal finances have surged while COVID has evaporated as a top issue for Americans, a new poll shows, marking an upheaval in priorities just months before critical midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone arrived Friday on Capitol Hill for a private interview with the Jan. 6 committee about his role trying to prevent then-President Donald Trump from challenging the 2020 presidential election and joining the violent mob that laid siege to the Capitol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers shrugged off high inflation and weakening growth to add 372,000 jobs in June, a surprisingly strong gain that will likely spur the Federal Reserve to keep sharply raising interest rates to cool the economy and slow price increases.

The unemployment rate remained at 3.6% for a fourth straight month, the government said Friday, matching a near-50-year low that was reached before the pandemic struck in early 2020.

WASHINGTON, July 7. /TASS/: US President Joe Biden has notified Congress of his intent to rescind the designation of Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally, according to a corresponding statement published by the press service of the White House on Wednesday.

Biden is "providing notice of the intent to rescind the designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally," the statement said.

WASHINGTON, July 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States imposed sanctions on a network of Chinese, Emirati and other companies that it accused of helping to deliver and sell Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia, pressuring Tehran as it seeks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

The US Treasury Department said in a statement the network of people and entities used a web of Gulf-based front companies to facilitate the delivery and sale of hundreds of millions of dollars in products from Iranian firms to China and elsewhere in East Asia.