Benjamin Brafman, right, attorney for pharmaceutical chief Martin Shkreli, foreground, speaks  on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on rising drug prices.  Shkreli refused to testify before U.S. lawmakers who excoriated him over severe hikes for a drug sold by a company that he acquired.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Drug exec takes the Fifth on Capitol Hill, angers lawmakers

WASHINGTON — Infuriating members of Congress, a smirking Martin Shkreli took the Fifth at a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday when asked about his jacking up… Continue reading

Benjamin Brafman, right, attorney for pharmaceutical chief Martin Shkreli, foreground, speaks  on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on rising drug prices.  Shkreli refused to testify before U.S. lawmakers who excoriated him over severe hikes for a drug sold by a company that he acquired.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Prosecutor: Va. Tech students plotted girl’s stabbing death

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Two Virginia Tech students carefully planned the kidnapping and killing of a 13-year-old girl, buying cleaning supplies and a shovel at separate… Continue reading

Officials warned of water, disease link

LANSING, Mich. — High-ranking officials in Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration were aware of a surge in Legionnaires’ disease potentially linked to Flint’s water long… Continue reading

2 teens in homeless camp killings to be tried as adults

SEATTLE (AP) — The oldest two of three homeless teen brothers suspected in a deadly drug-related mass shooting at a Seattle homeless camp last week… Continue reading

World pledges $10B for Syrians, but peace prospects are bleak

LONDON — World leaders pledged more than $10 billion Thursday to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees from Syria’s civil war, money that… Continue reading

General says troop cuts constrain Afghan training mission

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ability to train and advise the still green Afghan security forces will be constrained if the U.S. troop level is cut… Continue reading

A hole is photographed in a plane operated by Daallo Airlines as it sits on the runway after an emergency landing at the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016. Officials at Somalia's civil aviation authority said Wednesday Feb. 3, 2016 that they had found no evidence so far of a criminal act in an explosion in an airliner which took off from Mogadishu's airport and returned for an emergency landing. (Awale Kullane,via AP)

Explosive residue found in Somalia incident

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of the airline whose jetliner was damaged in an explosion shortly after takeoff from Somalia said Thursday that… Continue reading

A hole is photographed in a plane operated by Daallo Airlines as it sits on the runway after an emergency landing at the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016. Officials at Somalia's civil aviation authority said Wednesday Feb. 3, 2016 that they had found no evidence so far of a criminal act in an explosion in an airliner which took off from Mogadishu's airport and returned for an emergency landing. (Awale Kullane,via AP)

Education commissioner feels ‘no animosity’ over being replaced

Michael Hanley, one of the few state commissioners held over from the administration of Gov. Sean Parnell, is on the way out.On Thursday, the office… Continue reading

Flake, Salmon introduce bill to split 9th Circuit court

PHOENIX — A U.S. senator and U.S. representative from Arizona have introduced legislation to break up the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.Sen. Jeff Flake… Continue reading

Juvenile taken into custody in deaths of 2 outside Wasilla

WASILLA — A juvenile has been taken into custody in the shooting deaths of a 40-year-old woman and her 10-year-old son at a home outside… Continue reading

Judge refuses to throw out sex assault case against Cosby

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A judge refused to throw out the sexual assault case against Bill Cosby on Wednesday, sweeping aside a former district attorney’s… Continue reading

  • Feb 4, 2016
  • By MARYCLAIRE DALE and MICHAEL R. SISAK
  • Nation-World
In this Jan. 30, 2016 photo, Elielson tries to calm down his baby brother Jose Wesley, in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Jose Wesley struggles to feed, something common in children with neurological disorders like microcephaly. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Texas case sparks questions about sex and mosquito germs

NEW YORK — A sexually transmitted case of Zika in Texas has scientists scrambling to understand how much of a risk infection through sex is… Continue reading

In this Jan. 30, 2016 photo, Elielson tries to calm down his baby brother Jose Wesley, in Bonito, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Jose Wesley struggles to feed, something common in children with neurological disorders like microcephaly. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Revision to Kodiak law bans camping, lying on sidewalks

KODIAK — Kodiak officials have passed a revision to an ordinance that targets the city’ homeless population.The revision approved by the City Council on Thursday… Continue reading

Vehicles fill the Walmart parking lot for their first day of going out of business sales on Monday. Juneau's Walmart, which has been open since 2007, is among 154 stores in the U.S. being "pruned" from the corporate tree, according to Walmart spokesperson Delia Garcia.  About 180 Juneauites will be losing their jobs.

No, city offices will not be relocating to Walmart

Shortly after Walmart announced it was closing its Juneau store, the only things flying faster than clearance items off of shelves were rumors about what… Continue reading

Vehicles fill the Walmart parking lot for their first day of going out of business sales on Monday. Juneau's Walmart, which has been open since 2007, is among 154 stores in the U.S. being "pruned" from the corporate tree, according to Walmart spokesperson Delia Garcia.  About 180 Juneauites will be losing their jobs.

Coast Guard asks boaters to steer clear

While work to raise and scrap the tugboat Challenger takes place in Gastineau Channel, the Coast Guard is asking boaters to keep away. Global Diving… Continue reading

Flint crisis reaches Capitol Hill, and it’s a blame game

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government officials fought on Wednesday over who was to blame for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, at a combative congressional hearing… Continue reading

Rivals target Rubio; Trump calls for an Iowa do-over

BOW, N.H. — While Donald Trump called for a do-over, Marco Rubio tried to capitalize on his moment in the spotlight Wednesday as the shrinking… Continue reading

  • Feb 4, 2016
  • By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY and THOMAS BEAUMONT
  • Nation-World

Feds outline reforms for reservation hospitals

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Federal officials on Wednesday outlined a plan to improve care at hospitals that treat Native Americans in four Great Plains… Continue reading

President Barack Obama stops to greets children from Al-Rahmah school and other guests during his visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Baltimore, Md. Obama is making his first visit to a U.S. mosque at a time Muslim-Americans say they're confronting increasing levels of bias in speech and deeds.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Obama visits mosque, says impression of Muslims is distorted

CATONSVILLE, Md. — President Barack Obama sought Wednesday to correct what he called a “hugely distorted impression” of Muslim-Americans as he made his first visit… Continue reading

President Barack Obama stops to greets children from Al-Rahmah school and other guests during his visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, in Baltimore, Md. Obama is making his first visit to a U.S. mosque at a time Muslim-Americans say they're confronting increasing levels of bias in speech and deeds.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Missing reporter tells wife he’s back in China

BEIJING — The wife of a Chinese journalist who disappeared while seeking asylum abroad said she was able to speak to him by phone Wednesday… Continue reading