Biden, Xi to hold talks amid new tensions over Taiwan

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden plans to speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, according to a U.S. official. It's their first conversation in four months, and it's scheduled to take place amid new tension between Washington and Beijing over China’s claims on Taiwan. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly plans to visit the island, which governs itself even though China considers it part of its territory. Besides Taiwan, other topics of conversation could include North Korea’s nuclear program, Russia’s war in Ukraine, efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal and U.S. tariffs imposed on China.

US economy sending mixed signals: Here's what it all means

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is caught in an awkward, painful place. A confusing one, too. Growth appears to be sputtering, home sales are tumbling and economists warn of a potential recession ahead. But consumers keep spending, businesses keep posting profits and the economy keeps adding hundreds of thousands of jobs each month. In the midst of it all, prices have accelerated to four-decade highs, and the Federal Reserve is desperately trying to douse the inflationary flames with higher interest rates. That’s making borrowing more expensive for households and businesses. The Fed hopes to pull off the triple axel of central banking: Slow the economy just enough to curb inflation without causing a recession.

Trump, Pence speeches put stark GOP divide on display

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intensifying rivalry between former President Donald Trump and his once fiercely loyal vice president, Mike Pence, has been put on stark display in Washington. The two gave dueling speeches Tuesday on the future of the Republican Party. Trump, in his first return to Washington since Democrat Joe Biden ousted him from the White House, repeated the false election fraud claims that sparked the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Pence, in a separate address, implored the party to move on from Trump’s defeat. Both men have been laying the groundwork for expected presidential runs in 2024.

The AP Interview: Japan minister says women 'underestimated'

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s minister for gender equality called the country’s dangerously low births and plunging population a national crisis and blamed “indifference and ignorance” in the male-dominated Japanese parliament for the neglect. In an interview with The Associated Press, Seiko Noda couched the steadily dwindling number of children born in Japan as an existential threat. She says the nation won’t have enough troops, police or firefighters in coming decades if it continues. Japan is the world’s third biggest economy but it has struggled to make the society more inclusive. There are concerns both within Japan and abroad about how Japan will reverse what critics call a deep-seated history of male chauvinism that has contributed to the low birthrate.

Strong quake shakes northern Philippines, damages buildings

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A strong earthquake injured at least one person and cracked buildings in the northern Philippines. It prompted many people in the capital to run outdoors. Scientists say the 7 magnitude quake Wednesday morning was centered around Abra province in a mountainous area. A safety officer in a town near the epicenter told The Associated Press, “The ground shook like I was on a swing." He said one person was injured and some buildings had cracks or collapsed walls. Authorities were checking if damage or landslides had occurred in mountainside villages. The quake’s strength was lowered from the initial 7.3 magnitude after further analysis. Scientists expected more aftershocks.

New studies bolster theory coronavirus emerged from the wild

Two new studies provide more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China market where live animals were sold. This further bolsters the theory that the virus emerged from the wild rather than escaping from a Chinese lab. The research was published online Tuesday by the journal Science. It shows that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was likely the early epicenter of the scourge that has now killed nearly 6.4 million people around the world. Scientists also conclude that the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, likely spilled from animals into people two separate times.

Civilian medic commands respect on Ukraine war's front lines

DONETSK REGION, Ukaine (AP) — The founder of a medical nonprofit organization drives all over Ukraine's Donetsk region to deliver first-aid kits, equipment and training to soldiers and paramedics near the front lines of Russia's war in Ukraine. A helmet and a protective vest aren’t part of her uniform, but high heels and dresses are as she visits Ukrainian field positions and hospitals. Nataliia Voronkova is a civilian and a volunteer, and looking like one is important to her, even in a combat zone. Voronkova has spent more than eight years providing emergency medical training and supplies for Ukrainian forces. She says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February has created exponentially more need and challenges.

North Dakota abortion clinic prepares for likely final day

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota’s only abortion clinic is preparing for what could be its final day of performing procedures. The Red River Women's Clinic in Fargo will offer abortion care on Wednesday, and on Thursday a trigger ban is set to make abortion illegal in the state. Barring a judge's intervention, it likely means an indefinite period when patients will be forced to travel hundreds of miles to receive care until the clinic can open in a new location just across the river in Moorhead, Minnesota, where abortion remains legal. Clinic director Tammi Kromenaker has not said when the facility will be ready and did not respond to messages Tuesday.

Climate disinformation leaves lasting mark as world heats

Wildfires, floods and soaring temperatures have made climate change real to many Americans. Yet a sizeable number continue to dismiss the scientific consensus that human activity is to blame. That's in part because of a decades-long campaign by fossil fuel companies to muddy the facts and promote fringe explanations. Now, even as those same companies embrace renewable energy, the legacy of that climate disinformation remains, posing a challenge to any meaningful attempt to mitigate the damage. Meanwhile, the public's distrust of scientists and scientific institutions has widened to encompass vaccines and public health measures seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Detective: Alex Jones 'most dangerous' type of attack denier

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An attorney for the parents of one of the children who were killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting told jurors that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones repeatedly “lied and attacked the parents of murdered children” when he told his Infowars audience that the 2012 attack was a hoax. Attorney Mark Bankston said during his opening statement at a civil trial in Texas to determine damages against Jones that Jones created a “massive campaign of lies” and recruited “wild extremists from the fringes of the internet ... who were as cruel as Mr. Jones wanted them to be" to the victims' families. Jones later blasted the case, calling it a “show trial” and an assault on the First Amendment.

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