North America

25 May 2023; AA: George Floyd’s 2020 killing at the hands of a white police officer sparked protests across the US in the hopes of racial justice and an end to police brutality.

The viral image of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, pinned to the ground by an officer rekindled the Black Lives Matter movement in the US and abroad.

But three years after his death, the situation for the Black community in the US is no different, data suggests.

27 May 2023; AA: US President Joe Biden said Friday he is ''hopeful'' of a deal to raise the national debt limit by Friday night that could prevent an economic meltdown.

Biden made brief remarks to reporters about the debt ceiling before leaving Washington for Camp David.

"Things are looking good, I'm very optimistic," he said. "I hope we'll be able to know by tonight whether we have a deal.''

NEW YORK, May 26 (Xinhua) -- As the United States is planning the biggest FIFA World Cup in history, scheduled for the summer of 2026, some nations are issuing warnings about traveling to the United States for the matches over its rampant gun violence, reported Spectrum News 1 on Thursday.

DETROIT, the United States, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday, on the sidelines of the two-day 2023 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Detroit, the United States.

The two sides had "candid, pragmatic and in-depth" exchanges on the China-U.S. economic and trade relationship, as well as regional and multilateral issues of common concern.

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan police arrested the country’s prosecutor for crimes against migrants Friday, accusing him of alleged abuse of authority.

Stuardo Campos was formerly an anti-corruption prosecutor in the country during the administration of former President Jimmy Morales. It was not immediately clear whether the accusations pertain to his current position or the former.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday urged his supporters to protest at the state Capitol when Republicans in the House of Representatives take up historic impeachment proceedings that threaten to oust him.

The House has set a Saturday vote to consider impeaching Paxton and suspending him from office over allegations of bribery, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust — just some of the accusations that have trailed him for most of his three terms.

NEW YORK (AP) — Technology stocks powered solid gains for Wall Street on Friday after another chipmaker reported strong demand related to artificial intelligence.

The upbeat finish to the week for major indexes comes amid lingering anxiety over persistently high inflation, the risk of a U.S. debt default and broadly weak corporate earnings.

The S&P 500 rose, 54.17 points, or 1.3% to close at 4,205.45. It notched a small gain for the week and is in the green as May nears its close.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 328.69 points, or 1%, to 33,093.34.

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — In the four years since progressive reform prosecutors swept into office across northern Virginia, they have faced constant criticism, ranging from conservatives who deride them as bleeding-heart “ Soros prosecutors ” to judges who claim they abuse their discretion.

Now, as these prosecutors are up for reelection in Virginia’s off-off year elections, the challengers in next month’s Democratic primaries aren’t challenging the reform agenda. Instead, they too are casting themselves as reformers.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. authorities have arrested two suspected Chinese government agents in connection with an alleged plot by Beijing to disrupt and ultimately topple the exiled anti-communist Falun Gong spiritual movement.

John Chen and Lin Feng were charged in an indictment unsealed Friday with scheming to revoke a New York-based Falun Gong organization’s tax-exempt status and paying bribes to a undercover officer posing as a U.S. tax agent.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Gwendolyn Dean Schofield hoped to live to 100, and she was nearly there.

But on May 15, in what appeared to be a final act of kindness, Schofield and her daughter pulled over on a residential street in the northwestern New Mexico city of Farmington to help a woman who was shot at random, and they, too, were hit by gunfire and died.

“I guarantee they would have stopped in that situation 10 out of 10 times,” said Dallin Dean, Schofield’s grandson.