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What was the ‘first American novel’? On this Independence Day, a look at what it started

What was the ‘first American novel’? On this Independence Day, a look at what it started

Heather Blacksmith

NEW YORK — In the winter of 1789, around the time George Washington was elected the country’s first president, a ...

Wave of summer travel expected over July Fourth holiday as hot inflation loosens grip

Wave of summer travel expected over July Fourth holiday as hot inflation loosens grip

Bob Elliott

NEW YORK — Travel activity is expected to heat up to record levels around the Independence Day holiday as consumers ...

BET Awards return Sunday with performances from Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith and more

BET Awards return Sunday with performances from Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith and more

Heather Blacksmith

The BET Awards return Sunday night, with a performance-filled show that will kick off with a fiery set from Megan ...

For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat

For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat

Craig Fedirighi

JAMMU, India — The putrid smell of burning garbage wafts for miles from the landfill on the outskirts of Jammu ...

Biden opens debate with several verbal missteps as Trump pushes falsehoods

Biden opens debate with several verbal missteps as Trump pushes falsehoods

Heather Blacksmith

ATLANTA — A raspy President Joe Biden delivered rambling answers Thursday in the opening moments of his debate with his ...

Baby cousin with cancer inspires girls to sew hospital gowns for sick kids across U.S. and Africa

Baby cousin with cancer inspires girls to sew hospital gowns for sick kids across U.S. and Africa

Craig Fedirighi

FREEHOLD, N.J. — Fighting brain cancer, little Giada Demma was lying in her pediatric hospital bed, her tiny body virtually ...

Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed — and bemused by the fuss

Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed — and bemused by the fuss

Bob Elliott

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — It was a peculiar setting to the final act in a legal drama that has ...

UK fans wonder if Taylor Swift will say ‘So long, London’ after Eras Tour

UK fans wonder if Taylor Swift will say ‘So long, London’ after Eras Tour

Heather Blacksmith

LONDON — Taylor Swift fans enjoy parsing the singer-songwriter’s lyrics for references to her romantic life and insights into her ...

Some visitors to Israel have a new stop on their tours: Hamas’ destruction in the south

Some visitors to Israel have a new stop on their tours: Hamas’ destruction in the south

Bob Elliott

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel — A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas’ Oct. ...

California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget

California Democrats agree to delay health care worker minimum wage increase to help balance budget

Craig Fedirighi

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Democrats in California have agreed to delay a minimum wage increase for about 426,000 health care workers ...