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Trump plays White House tour guide to show off construction

National News

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump played White House tour guide on Wednesday, showing off the helipad he is building on the lawn before leaning over to autograph a piece of it and bragging about the ballroom he’s rushing to complete despite legal challenges. Trump gushed for several uninterrupted minutes about granite being laid and said the chopper landing area would leave visiting foreign leaders “very impressed” — including Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is coming next month. At times, he sounded almost like a construction manager, singing the praises of ...

Forecasters warn another tropical system could be brewing southeast of Hawaii after Lala leaves 2 dead

National News

As people in Hawaii work to remove massive amounts of debris and fix damaged infrastructure in the wake of Lala, forecasters on Wednesday warned of the likelihood for another tropical cyclone forming southeast of the islands. The death toll from the storm rose to two with the discovery of a man’s body near a highway. The remains of the man in his 60s were located by residents in a pasture on Tuesday in the largest and southernmost district on the Big Island, a day after police were asked to conduct a welfare check, police Lt. David Po’ohina said in a news release. Po’ohina ...

US national debt now stands at $40 trillion

National News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt surpassed a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October. The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out ...

Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration

National News

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Heidi Overton, a top White House aide, has been picked to lead the Food and Drug Administration, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. Overton is a medical doctor and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council who has worked on several of Trump’s second-term health initiatives. She has become a trusted administration figure and a champion of the Republican president’s goals. If confirmed by the Senate, she would have to balance a raft of competing priorities, including Trump’s fixations, the anti-regulatory interests of traditional ...

Liberty sidewalk project to pick up in coming weeks

Local News

LIBERTY — Approximately four months have passed since construction crews paused work on one of the township’s several infrastructure projects, but work is set to resume soon, according to Liberty’s road superintendent. Wayne Hickman said Wednesday that the Belmont Avenue sidewalk, which began March 30 and was paused a month later, will “continue as soon possible,” adding that Faust Construction, the project’s contractor, is working through its construction schedule. “No date has been set just yet, but it is of utmost importance for the township to complete the project, ...

United Arab Emirates suspends trade with Iran after coming under renewed missile fire

International News

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade with Iran on Wednesday after the UAE said it had come under renewed fire from the country — a move that will further isolate the Islamic Republic, which is suffering under U.S. sanctions and a blockade. Incoming ballistic missile fire triggered nationwide warnings Tuesday night for UAE residents to seek shelter, the first time in weeks such an alarm had sounded. Early in the conflict, the UAE regularly came under intense fire from Iran, and most trade between the countries, which had once been ...