U.S. & World

A geologist has discovered rocks in Canada that may contain sponge fossils dating back 890 million years — potentially making them the earliest fossil record of animal life on Earth.

A Hong Kong protester has been sentenced to nine years in prison in the closely watched first case under Hong Kong’s national security law as Beijing tightens control over the territory.

The places where COVID-19 appear to be spreading the most are the crowded streets of Tokyo, not the zealously tested Olympic venues, medical experts say.

American backstroke star Ryan Murphy said Friday that doping remains a huge problem in the sport and he wonders if all his competitors are clean.

Residents of Arlington County, Virginia, are complaining about mysterious insect bites with a nasty looking bump that itches and lingers.

Former Sen. Carl Levin, a powerful voice for the military during his career as Michigan’s longest-serving U.S. senator, has died

First lady Jill Biden has undergone a medical procedure to flush out debris from a puncture wound on her left foot

Charges were brought forth against a Navy sailor in response to evidence found during the criminal investigation into the fire onboard USS Bonhomme Richard last year, according to a Navy spokesman.

Congress has overwhelmingly passed emergency legislation that will bolster security at the Capitol, repay outstanding debts from the violent Jan. 6 insurrection and increase the number of visas for allies who worked alongside Americans in the Afghanistan war

Dozens of domestic wells have gone dry in an area near the Oregon-California border where the American West’s worsening drought has taken a particularly dramatic toll

Fueled by vaccinations and government aid, the U.S. economy grew at a solid 6.5% annual rate last quarter in another sign that the nation has achieved a sustained recovery from the pandemic recession

Russia’s long-delayed lab module has successfully docked with the International Space Station on Thursday, eight days after it was launched from the Russian space launch facility in Baikonur, Kazakhstan

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing the problem-plagued factory of contract manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions to resume production of COVID-19 vaccine.

If you are at risk of being forced out of your home, here is what you should know about how to access this help:

Israel’s prime minister has announced that the country will offer a coronavirus booster to people over 60 who have already been vaccinated

The Biden administration will allow a nationwide ban on evictions to expire Saturday

An Illinois woman faces criminal charges after she was captured on video being bluff charged by a grizzly bear while she was taking photos in Yellowstone National Park

Novak Djokovic will be playing in two semifinals matches Friday as Olympic tennis enters its final weekend.

Scott and French Gates are joining forces to support projects focused on advancing gender equality in tech, higher education and caregiving.

The nation’s millions of federal workers will be required to verify they’ve been vaccinated against the coronavirus or else face mandatory masking, weekly testing, distancing and other new rules, the Biden administration announced Thursday.

The progressive advocacy group Our Revolution is rebranding now that Bernie Sanders is no longer the undisputed leader of the left

Better known as PFAS, these chemicals were recently reported to be abundant in North American makeup products — here’s more on the risks, locations and legislation surrounding them

After Simone Biles pulled out of the team and individual all-around competitions, athletes have been showing her support. Irish golfer Rory McIlroy praised her and Naomi Osaka for prioritizing their mental health.

While most criminal justice overhauls require action from local officials or legislation, reforming the federal prison system is something President Joe Biden and his Justice Department control.

Days of heavy rainfall have pounded Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, destroying dwellings and sending thousands of people to live with extended families or in communal shelters

Ron Popeil, an American original who died this week at 86, thrived in the world of infomercials and home-shopping channels.

Even without the anticipated favorite of Biles, the 18-year-old Lee led the way for the U.S. squad to earn a silver medal in team competition.

British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca says it intends to seek U.S. authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine in the second half of this year.

Japanese officials have sounded the alarm as Tokyo reported record-breaking coronavirus cases for the third straight day with the Olympics well underway.

The largest earthquake in the United States in the last half century produced a lot of shaking but spared Alaska any major damage in a sparsely populated region

Federal health regulators have again extended the expiration dates on Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine by another six weeks.

Renee Bushey of Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood booked an Airbnb in New Hampshire, and when she asked questions about the security cameras inside the house, she says the host canceled last-minute.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Chicago and across the nation, hundreds of thousands will gather this weekend at Grant Park for Lollapalooza — but resale markets are showing that some are hesitant to attend amid those case increases.

The elite New York golf club has become the latest battlefront in the wars over former President Donald Trump, who has been a member of the club for more than 50 years.

“I was generally encouraged by the results of the paper,” the study’s lead author said.

Disney has amended the mask policy at its U.S.-based theme parks in the wake of new guidance from health and government officials.

A 26-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder after telling officers she killed her 92-year-old roommate, Montgomery County Police said Wednesday.

U.S. prosecutors asked a judge Wednesday to order the Federal Bureau of Prisons to transfer all money in Larry Nassar’s prison account — about $2,000 — to help provide restitution to five victims as part of his 60-year child porn sentence.

Follow your favorite sports and athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and see all of the top moments from the sixth day of competition.

The Olympic golf tournament tees off on Wednesday in Tokyo. Here is what you need to know about the schedule, how to watch and Team USA’s roster.

An internal audit says the Defense Department has dragged its feet on protecting service members from toxic “forever chemicals.”

Follow along with live updates from Day 6 of the competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

Authorities disrupted a transaction between a Texas man and the Australian government for 50 million masks.

The legislation would pour federal money into physical infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, passenger rails, drinking water and waste water systems.

Governments and businesses are scrambling to change course following new federal guidance calling for the return of mask wearing in virus hot spots amid a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations

The spread of the COVID-19 delta variant is raising infection rates, leading some businesses and governments to require vaccinations and raising concerns about the U.S. economic recovery

Lottery officials say a woman in Germany carried a winning ticket in her purse for weeks without realizing it was worth about 33 million euros ($39 million).

A Republican advocacy group is withdrawing its request for a court order seeking the immediate release of Census Bureau records

A British journalist and her publisher are fighting a defamation claim from billionaire Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich over a book about the rise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It’s the second delay to office returns amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The Senate has voted to start work on a nearly $1 trillion national infrastructure package

A former Oregon lawmaker who was expelled for letting violent, far-right protesters into the state Capitol has pleaded guilty to one count of official misconduct.

A coalition of civil rights groups releasing a report on hate crime laws says the protections against bias-motivated violence are inconsistent and lack uniformity nationally

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has acquired a stake in the NBA’s Africa business through his foundation

Fully vaccinated travelers from the United States and much of Europe can enter England without quarantining starting next week.

Fred Ware and his son were researching the history of the home he’s owned in Manchester, in the Hartford suburbs, since 1950 when they discovered something far uglier than they expected. Tucked in a list of rules on the home’s original deed from the developer was a provision that said: “No persons of any race other than the white...

A rumbling volcano on Indonesia’s Sumatra island has shot billowing columns of ash and hot clouds down its slopes.

President Joe Biden has leapt back into the Senate’s up-and-down efforts to clinch a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure deal

McCormick has issued a nationwide voluntary recall of several seasoning products sold at retailers in the U.S., Canada and Bermuda due to possible salmonella contamination.

A 15-year-old high school football player died after collapsing at the first day of practice in middle Georgia.

With Biles withdrawn from the women’s all-around event, USA Gymnastics confirmed Wednesday that Jade Carey will fill in.

The cab driver said he saw two cars that appeared to be racing one another on the highway before the shot went off.

At a time of widespread digital insecurity it turns out that the oldest and simplest computer fix there is — turning a device off then back on again — can thwart hackers from stealing information from smartphones.

American gymnast Simone Biles, who withdrew from the team final on Tuesday, will not compete in the women’s individual all-around final on Thursday, USA Gymastics announced Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors in Maryland say a man has been arrested and charged with sending emails that threatened to harm and kill Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins, and their families.

Officials say two people are dead and 30 were hospitalized after a chemical leak at a Houston-area plant

A tropical storm has dumped rain in parts of northern Japan with little of the disruption to the Olympics that had been feared

Follow your favorite sports and athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and see all of day five’s top moments in pictures.

Follow along with live updates from Day 5 of the competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

An 18-year-old woman was killed and a 19-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries in a shooting late Monday at a movie theater in a shopping and entertainment complex in Corona.

A dominant win over Iran came on the heels of the U.S. team’s stunning opening loss to France on Sunday, the Americans’ first at the Olympics since 2004.

If they beat France, the U.S. will compete for the first Olympic gold medal in the sport’s history

A former Air Force intelligence analyst has been sentenced to 45 months in prison for leaking top-secret information about the U.S. government’s drone strike program to a journalist

Financial protections keeping many households afloat throughout the coronavirus pandemic will end in the coming days and weeks.

The CDC recommended that fully vaccinated people and school-age kids begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid transmission rates.

A man accused of killing eight people, most of them women of Asian descent, at massage businesses in Georgia has pleaded guilty to four of the murders

Launching yourself through the air and dodging kicks and punches can lead to some funny facial expressions. We’re tracking all of the funny faces Olympians make while focused on their craft.

A’ja Wilson made a statement in her Olympic debut as the U.S. women beat Nigeria 81-72.

These U.S. Olympians will be coming home from Tokyo with an extra souvenir – a gold Olympic medal.

The dress Princess Diana wore at her wedding to Prince Charles has gone on public display at the late princess’s former London home.

More places are easing travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers, with some set to require inoculations from all travelers by the summer.

Public health officials are adamant that everyone needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19, regardless of immigration status if the country is to have a chance at stopping or slowing the virus’ spread. But questions loom.