National & International | The Daily Courier

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen faces possible jail sentence

Michael Cohen, a lawyer who made his career protecting President Donald Trump, is set to learn Wednesday whether his decision to cooperate with federal investigators will lessen his punishment for dodging taxes, lying to Congress and violating campaign finance laws.

US military identifies 5 dead in warplanes crash off Japan

The U.S. military has identified five Marines who were declared dead after their refueling plane collided with a fighter jet last week off Japan's southern coast.

Former Barcelona president Nunez dies at age 87

Josep Lluis Nunez, the Barcelona president who oversaw the club’s transformation into a soccer powerhouse, has died.

France shooting: 4 dead, several wounded in Strasbourg

PARIS — A shooting in the French city of Strasbourg killed four people and wounded 11 others near a world-famous Christmas market Tuesday, sparking a broad lockdown and a search for the suspected gunman, who remained at large.

The cost of France's protests running into billions

PARIS — France's wave of protests and violence over the past month or so has already cost the eurozone's second-largest economy a fortune.

Facing pressure, McConnell agrees to criminal justice vote

WASHINGTON — Under pressure from President Donald Trump and many of his Republican colleagues, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that he will bring legislation to the floor to overhaul the nation's sentencing laws.

Trump bickers with Dem leaders, threatens government shutdown

WASHINGTON — Bickering in public with Democratic leaders, President Donald Trump threatened repeatedly on Tuesday to shut down the government if Congress doesn't provide the money he says is needed to build a wall at the Mexican border.

Canada-China relations turn icy over arrest of Chinese exec

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — China has detained a former Canadian diplomat in Beijing in apparent retaliation for the jailing of a top Chinese executive at the request of the United States, escalating a legal and diplomatic wrangle among the three countries.

Gunman kills 4, then himself, after Mass at Brazil cathedral

RIO DE JANEIRO — A man opened fire in a cathedral in southern Brazil after Mass on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding four more before taking a bullet in the ribs in a firefight with police and then shooting himself in the head, authorities said.

Christmas tree farmers combat popularity of artificial trees

Rosa Villarreal's three young sons jumped and ran around the field of Christmas trees like jackrabbits, their excitement palpable as they raced from evergreen to evergreen.

Moonves scandal looms over CBS shareholder meeting

With a $120 million severance package on the line, an investigation into sexual-misconduct claims against former CBS CEO Les Moonves will loom over the network's annual shareholders meeting on Tuesday.

Trump says military to build border wall if Democrats refuse

President Donald Trump sought Tuesday to pressure Democratic congressional leaders into supporting his demand for billions of dollars to build his promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, threatening to have the military build it "if Democrats do not give us the votes to secure our Country."

Photo Gallery: Migrants in Tijuana trickling over and under wall

A steady trickle of Central American migrants have been finding ways to climb over, tunnel under or slip through the U.S. border wall to plant their feet on U.S. soil and ask for asylum.

GM fights government to retain tax credit for electric cars

General Motors is fighting to retain a valuable tax credit for electric vehicles as the nation's largest automaker contends with the political fallout triggered by its plans to shutter several U.S. factories and shed thousands of workers.

Killer of counterprotester at racist rally awaits sentence

A man convicted of first-degree murder for driving his car into counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia faces 20 years to life in prison as jurors reconvene to consider his punishment.

Nobel Peace winners urge global action vs. sexual violence

he Congolese doctor who shares this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the use of rape and sexual violence as weapons of war on Monday called for strong international action against the abuse, including reparations for victims.

Swath of South facing wintry mess: Snow, sleet, freezing rain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A massive storm brought snow, sleet, and freezing rain across a wide swath of the South on Sunday — causing dangerously icy roads, immobilizing snowfalls and power losses to hundreds of thousands of people.

UK leader warns of 'uncharted waters' if Brexit deal nixed

LONDON — With a crucial parliamentary vote on Brexit looming, British Prime Minister Theresa May warned lawmakers Sunday that they could take Britain into "uncharted waters" and trigger a general election if they reject the divorce deal she struck with the European Union.

Top House Dems raise prospect of impeachment, jail for Trump

WASHINGTON — Top House Democrats on Sunday raised the prospect of impeachment or almost-certain prison time for President Donald Trump if it's proved that he directed illegal hush-money payments to women, adding to the legal pressure on the president over the Russia investigation and other scandals.

Pence aide out of running to be Trump's next chief of staff

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's top pick to replace chief of staff John Kelly, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill the role.

Trump says chief of staff John Kelly to leave at year’s end

President Donald Trump said Saturday that chief of staff John Kelly will leave his job by year’s end amid an expected West Wing reshuffling reflecting a focus on the 2020 re-election campaign and the challenge of governing with Democrats reclaiming control of the House.

Tim Rossovich, actor and former NFL player, dies at 72

Tim Rossovich, a consensus All-America defensive end at Southern California who played in the NFL before going on to an acting career, has died. He was 72.

Marriott security breach exposed data of up to 500M Starwood hotel brand guests

Hackers stole information on as many as 500 million guests of the Marriott hotel empire over four years, obtaining credit card and passport numbers and other personal data, the company said Friday as it acknowledged one of the largest security breaches in history.

Rioting engulfs Paris as anger grows over high French taxes

PARIS — The rumble of armored police trucks and the hiss of tear gas filled central Paris on Saturday, as French riot police fought to contain thousands of yellow-vested protesters venting their anger against the government in a movement that has grown more violent by the week.

Can a sitting president be indicted while in office?

WASHINGTON — For the first time, prosecutors have tied President Donald Trump to a federal crime, accusing him of directing illegal hush-money payments to women during his presidential campaign in 2016.