Author: Bradley Klapper
-
Trump declares Jerusalem Israeli capital, smashing US policy
—
by
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump shattered decades of unwavering U.S. neutrality on Jerusalem Wednesday, declaring the sorely divided holy city as Israel’s capital and sparking frustrated Palestinians to cry out that he had destroyed already-fragile Mideast hopes for peace. Defying dire, worldwide warnings, Trump insisted that after repeated peace failures it was past time for…
-
Tillerson denies he weighed resigning or called boss ‘moron’
—
by
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared Wednesday he never considered resigning as President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, disputing what he called “erroneous” reports that he wanted to step down earlier this year. After pointedly refusing to answer if he called the president a “moron,” Tillerson had a spokeswoman deny he used such language.…
-
Mexican drug lord El Chapo lands in New York to face charges
NEW YORK — Infamous Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who twice escaped from maximum-security prisons in his country, was extradited at the request of the United States to face drug trafficking and other charges and arrived in New York late Thursday. A plane carrying Guzman landed at a suburban airport, where a caravan…
-
United Nations passes resolution condemning Israeli settlements, U.S. abstains from vote
UNITED NATIONS — In a striking rupture with past practice, the United States allowed the U.N. Security Council on Friday to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem as a “flagrant violation” of international law. In doing so, the outgoing Obama administration brushed aside Donald Trump’s demands that the U.S. exercise its…
-
US says $400M to Iran was contingent on release of prisoners
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Thursday that a $400 million cash payment to Iran seven months ago was contingent on the release of a group of American prisoners. It is the first time the U.S. has so clearly linked the two events, which critics have painted as a hostage-ransom arrangement. State Department spokesman John…
-
AP FACT CHECK: Misfires in Hillary Clinton’s speech
WASHINGTON — In her speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton wrongly implied Donald Trump has proposed banning Islam in America and sketched out a plan for defeating Islamic State militants that merely mirrors what the U.S. is already trying to do. Clinton spoke Thursday night to the largest TV audience she is likely to…
-
Father of fallen Muslim soldier blasts Trump at convention
WASHINGTON — The father of a Muslim American soldier killed in Iraq posed a question to Donald Trump: Have you read the Constitution? To rapturous cheers, Pakistan-born Khizr Khan fiercely attacked the billionaire businessman Thursday at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, saying that if it was up to Trump, his son never would have been…
-
State Department reopens Clinton emails probe
WASHINGTON — The State Department is reopening an internal investigation of possible mishandling of classified information by Hillary Clinton and top aides, officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. Although the former secretary of state’s closest confidants have left the agency, they could still face punishment. The most serious is the loss of security clearances,…
-
Clinton faulted on emails by State Department audit
WASHINGTON — Hillary Clinton disregarded State Department cybersecurity guidelines by using a private email account and server, an internal audit found Wednesday. Her staff twice brushed aside specific concerns that she wasn’t following federal rules. The inspector general’s review also revealed that hacking attempts forced then-Secretary of State Clinton off email at one point in…