Stocks rose on Wall Street Friday and closed higher for the week, breaking a seven-week losing streak, the longest such stretch since 2001.  The S&P 500 rose 100 points, or 2.5%, to close at 4,158, increasing its gain for the week to 6.6%. That’s the biggest weekly gain for the …

A deputy in South Carolina whose police van was swept away by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, drowning two women seeking mental health treatment trapped in a cage in the back, was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison. A Marion County jury found former Horry County deputy …

A Texas restaurant owner and father of three has come to the rescue of hundreds of parents struggling to find infant formula amid a national shortage of the product.  Determined to make a difference, Benji Arslanovski, owner of “Our Place” in Mansfield, Texas, recently reached out to US Foods, his …

Washington — A House panel held the first public congressional hearing on unidentified flying objects in more than half a century on Tuesday, with top Pentagon officials saying the number of “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP) reported by pilots and service members had grown to about 400.  Under Secretary of Defense …

A 3-year-old girl whose death last fall has been ruled a homicide was the subject of an alleged exorcism last year at a Northern California church, a newspaper reported Tuesday. The child, Arely Naomi Proctor, died last September after family members performed a ceremony to “liberate her of her evil …

The average interest rate on a fixed 30-year mortgage in the U.S. reached 5.53% this week, more than double its level from a year ago. Although that could lift the cost of purchasing a home beyond the means of many aspiring buyers, some house-hunters are likely to benefit, according to …

Three Haitian nationals and one U.S. citizen are facing weapons trafficking charges for allegedly smuggling firearms and ammunition to Haiti for the 400 Mawozo gang. The gang claimed responsibility last year for kidnapping a group of missionaries. Joly “Yonyon” Germine, 29, Eliande Tunis, 43, Jocelyn Dor, 29, and Walder St. …

Hawaii lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday that would boost the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2028, potentially creating the highest minimum wage for workers in the U.S. Hawaii’s minimum wage is currently $10.10 an hour. The bill would raise that rate in increments over the next several years, …

Fidelity Investments customers with a 401(k) account will be able to invest a portion of their account funds in bitcoin starting later this year, the first time a major retirement plan provider is adding cryptocurrency to their menu. Dave Gray, head of workplace retirement offerings at Fidelity, said Tuesday that the company …

San Jose police said Wednesday that they have charged three people with kidnapping a three-month-old baby who was taken from an apartment Monday afternoon while his grandmother was unloading groceries from a car outside. The baby was found alive and unharmed Tuesday.  Jose Roman Portillo, Yesenia Guadalupe Ramirez and Baldomeo …