US, Cuba near deal on commercial flights

US, Cuba near deal on commercial flights

HAVANA

The United States and Cuba are close to a deal on restoring regularly scheduled commercial flights, Cuban and American officials said Wednesday on the eve of the anniversary of detente between the Cold War foes.

The diplomatic advance would help open the way for U.S. airlines to begin flying to Cuba within months in what likely would be the biggest step toward tighter economic ties since the two countries began normalizing relations last year.

FBI: Shooters talked privately of jihad

NEW YORK

The husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people and wounded 21 others this month in San Bernardino, Calif., communicated privately about jihad and martyrdom before they were married, but there is no evidence to suggest the couple revealed those thoughts publicly on social media, the FBI director said Wednesday.

“We can see from our investigation that in late 2013, before there is a physical meeting of these two people resulting in their engagement and then their journey to the United States, they’re communicating online, showing signs in their communication of their joint commitment to jihad and to martyrdom,” James Comey said. He said those messages between Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik were direct, private messages.

Donor pays off $106K in layaways

CLEVELAND

A man has paid off more than $106,000 in shoppers’ layaways at two Walmart stores in Northeast Ohio.

WEWS-TV in Cleveland reports that the man told Walmart employees that he liked to do something special on his birthday every year. They say he insisted on remaining anonymous.

The donor paid off a total of nearly $70,000 for the layaway items at the Steelyard Commons store in Cleveland and about $36,000 for items in Lorain.

Iraq reluctant on greater US presence

BAGHDAD

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday he came away from meetings with Iraqi leaders with no agreement on the use of Apache attack helicopters or additional military advisers in the battle to retake the key city of Ramadi from Islamic State militants.

But he said the U.S. was ready to provide such support if the Iraqis asked.

Speaking to reporters after meetings with Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and others, Carter said that as military conditions change, the U.S. is prepared to increase its contributions to the fight.

The Obama administration has been talking for days about “accelerating” the fight against IS, but that could be complicated by Iraq’s reluctance to a greater U.S. presence in the country.

Buffett endorsement

OMAHA, Neb.

With billionaire investor Warren Buffett looking on, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she wants to raise taxes on the wealthy and expand upon the so-called “Buffett rule” pushed by the Obama administration to raise tax rates on the richest Americans.

“I want to go even further, because Warren is 100 percent right, as usual,” Clinton said at a rally in Omaha, Neb., that featured a public endorsement from Buffett, the famed investor and one of the wealthiest people in America. “I want to be the president for the struggling, the striving and the successful.”

Buffett was the namesake for the push by the Obama administration to seek a tax rate of 30 percent on those earning $1 million or more.

Associated Press