Fed's Powell sticks with patient approach to rate cuts, brushing off Trump's demands

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave little indication on Wednesday of bowing anytime soon to President Donald Trump's frequent demands that he cut interest rates, even as signs of dissent emerged on the Fed's governing board.

The Fed left its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth time this year, at about 4.3%, as was expected. But Powell also signaled that it could take months for the Fed to determine whether Trump's sweeping tariffs will push up inflation temporarily or lead to a more persistent bout of higher prices. His comments suggest that a rate cut in September, which had been expected by some economists and investors, is now less likely.

“We've learned that the process will probably be slower than expected,” Powell said. “We think we have a long way to go to really understand exactly how” the tariffs will affect inflation and the economy.

There were some signs of splits in the Fed’s ranks: Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman voted to reduce borrowing costs, while nine officials, including Powell, favored standing pat. It is the first time in more than three decades that two of the seven Washington-based governors have dissented. One official, Governor Adriana Kugler, was absent and didn’t vote.

The choice to hold off on a rate cut will almost certainly result in further conflict between the Fed and White House, as Trump has repeatedly demanded that the central bank reduce borrowing costs as part of his effort to assert control over one of the few remaining independent federal agencies.

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Trump announces 25% tariff on India and unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

The new tariffs were part of a flurry of trade activity that included a series of executive actions regarding Brazil, copper and shipments of goods worth less than $800, as well as a reduced 15% tax on imports from South Korea, including its autos. It was all a prelude to Friday when Trump's new tariff regime is scheduled to start, an event the White House has portrayed as a testament to Trump's negotiating skills even as concerns persist about the taxes hurting growth and increasing inflationary pressures.

India “is our friend,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform announcing the taxes, but its tariffs on U.S. products “are far too high.”

The Republican president added India buys military equipment and oil from Russia, enabling Moscow's war in Ukraine. As a result, he intends to charge an additional “penalty” starting on Friday as part of the launch of his administration’s revised tariffs on multiple countries.

Trump told reporters on Wednesday the two countries were still in the middle of negotiations on trade despite the tariffs slated to begin in a few days.

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Tsunami evacuations ordered in South America, but worst risk appears to pass for US after huge quake

HONOLULU (AP) — Fears of a devastating tsunami faded Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off a sparsely populated Russian peninsula, but new alerts along South America’s Pacific coast forced evacuations and closed beaches.

Warnings in the first hours after the 8.8 magnitude quake sent residents fleeing to rooftops in Japan and forced tourists out of beachfront hotels in Hawaii, snarling island traffic. In Russia, several people were hurt while rushing out of buildings, including a hospital patient who jumped from a window.

Millions of people were told to move away from the shore or seek high ground because they were potentially in the path of the tsunami waves, which struck seaside areas of Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast but did not appear to cause any major damage.

The dire warnings following the massive quake early Wednesday off Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula evoked memories of catastrophic damage caused by tsunamis over the last quarter-century.

In Japan, people flocked to evacuation centers, hilltop parks and rooftops in towns on the Pacific coast with fresh memories of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused a nuclear disaster.

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FACT FOCUS: No, Oprah Winfrey didn't block access to a private road amid tsunami warning evacuations

Even as the threat of a tsunami swamping Hawaii had passed on Wednesday, social media posts were still circulating claims that Oprah Winfrey had refused immediate access to a private road that would allow residents a shorter evacuation route.

The warnings followed one of the century's most powerful earthquakes, an 8.8 magnitude quake that struck off a Russian peninsula and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a wide swath of the Pacific. Posts on X and TikTok contended Winfrey refused to open her private road, or was slow to do so during the evacuation.

But the roadway does not actually belong to Winfrey, and efforts to open the road to the public started soon after the tsunami warning was issued.

Here’s a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: Winfrey owns the private road and refused to allow public access for residents trying to reach higher ground, only relenting following public pressure.

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NYC gunman bought his rifle from his boss in Las Vegas

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who killed four people at a Manhattan office building bought the rifle he used in the attack and the car he drove across country from his supervisor at a Las Vegas casino, authorities said Wednesday.

Shane Tamura, 27, fatally shot three people Monday in the building lobby before taking an elevator to the 33rd floor, killing a fourth victim and then ending his own life, according to police. The building housed the National Football League’s headquarters and other corporate offices.

In a note found on his body, Tamura assailed the NFL's handling of concerns about chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and the former high school football player claimed he himself had the degenerative brain disease, according to police. Known as CTE, it has been linked to concussions and other head trauma.

At Tamura's Las Vegas studio apartment, investigators found a note with a different troubled message, police said Wednesday. They said the note expressed a feeling that his parents were disappointed in him and included an apology to his mother.

Police said they also found a psychiatric medication, an epilepsy drug and an anti-inflammatory that had been prescribed to Tamura.

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Unsettled by NYC shooting, companies wonder if their offices are safe

NEW YORK (AP) — Businesses around the country are reevaluating security after a brazen shooting at a New York City office building raised questions about what it takes to keep workplaces safe.

The attack on a seemingly secure building — in a gilded part of Manhattan where the rich live in sprawling apartments and tourists window-shop designer stores — has rattled workers and prompted managers to examine whether they are adequately protected.

“What should we be doing different?” clients are asking, said Brian Higgins, founder of Group 77, a Mahwah, New Jersey, security company that is among those getting peppered with an influx of calls. “How can we prevent something like this?”

The gut reaction of some companies, Higgins said, is to buy the latest technology and blanket their workplace in cameras. But, he cautioned, that's only only effective if paired with consistency and long-term monitoring.

“If you’re going to add a security measure … you have to make sure you maintain it,” said Higgins, a former police chief who teaches security at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

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Malta says it will recognize the state of Palestine, joining France and possibly Britain

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Canada and Malta announced Wednesday they will recognize the state of Palestine in September, joining France and the United Kingdom in stepping up pressure to end the nearly 80-year Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement after a Cabinet meeting. Christopher Cutajar, the permanent secretary at Malta’s Foreign Ministry, made his country's announcement earlier at the U.N. General Assembly’s meeting on a two-state solution to the conflict which was extended to a third day because of the high number of countries wanting to speak.

Cutajar said Malta has long supported self-determination for the Palestinian people, and “as responsible actors, we have a duty to work to translate the concept of a two-state solution from theory into practice.”

“It is for this reason that the government of Malta has taken the principled decision to formally recognize the state of Palestine at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly in September,” he said.

Carney said Canada will also make its announcement at the annual gathering of world leaders which starts Sept. 23. He said the intention is predicated on the Palestinian Authority “holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made those promises in a June 10 letter and it's unclear what more Carney is seeking.

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Colorado dentist convicted of murder, gets life sentence for lacing wife's shakes with poison

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado dentist was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday after being convicted of killing his wife by lacing her protein shakes with poison before delivering a fatal dose of cyanide when she was in the hospital.

District Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced James Craig to life without the possibility of parole, the mandatory sentence for a first-degree murder conviction in Colorado. He was convicted of murder and other charges by a jury, which rejected his claim that he had helped his wife kill herself after he said he wanted a divorce following his repeated extramarital affairs.

Prosecutors said at trial that James Craig poisoned his wife Angela Craig over 10 days in March 2023. When those attempts failed, prosecutors said, the dentist gave his wife a final dose of cyanide as she was hospitalized in suburban Denver with symptoms that puzzled doctors. She was declared brain dead soon after.

Craig stood in a hushed courtroom Wednesday afternoon as the jury delivered a litany of guilty verdicts. His sentencing followed tearful testimony by Angela Craig’s relatives about the impact of losing her, including one of the couple's six children who cast her father as a villain.

Angela Craig’s older sister, Toni Kofoed, lamented the loss of phone calls, texts and trips with her sister where they could laugh and talk through the night.

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Brown University strikes agreement with Trump administration to restore lost federal funding

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brown University will pay $50 million to Rhode Island workforce development organizations in a deal with the Trump administration that restores lost federal research funding and ends investigations into alleged discrimination, officials said Wednesday.

The university also agreed to several concessions in line with President Donald Trump's political agenda. Brown will adopt the government's definition of “male” and “female,” for example, and must remove any consideration of race from the admissions process.

Brown President Christina H. Paxson said the deal preserves Brown's academic independence. The terms include a clause saying the government cannot dictate curriculum or the content of academic speech at Brown.

“The University’s foremost priority throughout discussions with the government was remaining true to our academic mission, our core values and who we are as a community at Brown,” Paxson wrote.

It is the latest deal between an Ivy League school and the Trump administration, which has used its control of federal funding to push for reforms at colleges Trump decries as overrun by liberalism and antisemitism. The administration also has launched investigations into diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying they discriminate against white and Asian American students.

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Shohei Ohtani leaves mound with trainer after throwing 6 straight balls, including 2 wild pitches

CINCINNATI (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani left the mound accompanied by a trainer during the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

Ohtani threw six straight balls — including two consecutive wild pitches — and, after a conference on the mound, departed with a 2-0 count against Spencer Steer.

The 31-year-old remained in the game at designated hitter. He struck out looking against Reds starter Nick Martinez in the sixth inning.

It was Ohtani’s seventh mound start in his comeback from surgery on his right elbow, which occurred after the 2023 season. He did not pitch at all last season, his first for the Dodgers after signing a 10-year, $700 million contract, but he starred at DH — finishing with 54 homers and 59 stolen bases — and won his third MVP award.

Ohtani leads the National League with 38 homers this season.

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