Month: June 2022

By ADAM BEAM and DON THOMPSON Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The California Senate has rejected a proposal to ban involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. The California Constitution bans involuntary servitude except for the punishment of a crime. Some state lawmakers proposed an amendment to remove that exception. Voters would have to

By MICHAEL BALSAMO, ERIC TUCKER and NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal agents searched a former top Justice Department official’s home and seized records from key Republicans in at least five states linked to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, in what were clear signs that authorities are ramping up their

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Groups representing the oil industry and refiners say a meeting with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was productive and should send a signal to markets that the United States is committed to long-term investments in the oil and refining industry. The meeting Thursday with Granholm and other top

BEIRUT (AP) — Aid agencies say that if the U.N. Security Council does not extend its approval of deliveries to rebel-held parts of northwestern Syria in three weeks, food supplies will be depleted by September in the region that is home to some 4 million people. Thursday’s warning comes amid concerns that the situation will

JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — A Republican U.S. representative says he believes abortion rights activists may be behind vandalism at the building his campaign office shares with an anti-abortion group in southern Michigan. U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg’s campaign says attackers smashed windows and a front door of the building in Jackson, Michigan, early Wednesday. Fire officials

By BOBBY CAINA CALVAN and MARINA VILLENEUVE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s Democratic leaders aim to preserve as many restrictions as possible on carrying a handgun in public after a U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday struck down key portions of the state’s gun-licensing law. State and New York City officials are zeroing

By CHRISTINA LARSON AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have discovered the world’s largest bacterium in a Caribbean mangrove swamp. Most bacteria are microscopic, but this one is so big it can be seen with the naked eye. The thin white filament, approximately the size of a human eyelash, is “by far the largest

By PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A Connecticut woman who says she’s descended from slaves shown in widely published, historical photos owned by Harvard University can sue the school for emotional distress. The top court in Massachusetts on Thursday partly vacated a lower court ruling that dismissed a complaint from Tamara Lanier over

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A California judge has approved a request by Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s adult daughter to change her name and gender on her birth certificate. A judge in the Santa Monica branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court granted the change Wednesday for Vivian Jenna Wilson. The order said a new

By JAMES POLLARD Associated Press/Report for America A former nursing director pleaded guilty Thursday to lying to federal agents in South Carolina about providing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. Tammy Hudson McDonald, who worked at a PruittHealth skilled nursing facility last summer, filled out cards for people she knew had not received the vaccine, according to

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writers Instagram is testing new ways to verify the age of people using its service, including a face-scanning artificial intelligence tool, having mutual friends verify their age or uploading an ID. Meta, which owns both Facebook and Instagram, said that beginning on Thursday, if someone tries to

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Authorities say a knife-wielding patient has fatally stabbed one person and wounded another inside a Las Vegas hospital. Metro Police say the stabbings occurred early Thursday in the psychiatric ward of University Medical Center. They say it’s an “isolated incident” and the hospital remains open. Police didn’t immediately identify the suspect

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY and MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, New Mexico (AP) — A rural New Mexico county’s initial refusal to certify its primary election results sent ripples across the country last week, a symbol of how even the most elemental functions of democracy have become politicized pressure points amid the swirl of

By FREIDA FRISARO and BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Publix supermarket chain isn’t offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children younger than 5. The Florida-based chain hasn’t explained its decision. Publix has 1,288 stores in seven Southern states and was instrumental in distributing the vaccine when it was initially released. It

By The Associated Press Nike will fully shut down its operations in Russia, joining other international companies that have withdrawn from the country after its brutal invasion of Ukraine.Nike Inc. suspended operations three months ago at all of its company-owned and operated stores in Russia but like other major corporations, has attempted to avoid exposing

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major expansion of gun rights after a series of mass shootings, the Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, a ruling likely to lead to more people legally armed. The decision came out as Congress and

By GENE JOHNSON Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon said Thursday it is providing $23 million to help minority-led organizations build or preserve more than 500 new affordable housing units in Seattle — the latest spending by a tech company to ease a severe housing crunch the industry has helped create. The commitment comes from

DAMACUS, Syria (AP) — A private company says the international airport in Syria’s capital of Damascus has resumed flights after nearly two weeks following an Israeli airstrike that caused serious damage to the facility. Cham Wings Airlines says it had four flights that took off from the Damascus International Airport on Thursday for Kuwait, Oman,

By NICOLE WINFIELD and ROB GILLIES Associated Press ROME (AP) — The Vatican has released the itinerary for Pope Francis’ July 24-30 visit to Canada. The publication of the program on Thursday is a sign he intends to go ahead with the trip despite knee problems that forced him to cancel a six-day visit to

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says a U.S. Naval reservist charged with storming the U.S. Capitol told an undercover agent he went there with members of the far-right Proud Boys extremist group. Court records show Hatchet Speed was arrested Wednesday in Virginia on misdemeanor charges stemming from

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States says it is sending another $450 million in military aid to Ukraine, including some additional medium-range rocket systems, to help push back Russian progress in the war. The latest package includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, which

WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas judge won’t allow new genetic testing of crime scene evidence from the killing of three boys nearly 30 years ago. The judge denied a motion seeking access to the evidence from the 1993 killing of three 8-year-boys in West Memphis. The additional testing was sought by Damien Echols,

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — How does Rick Astley handle one of his songs being part of the biggest internet meme of all time? He rolls with it, obviously. “Listen, let’s face it, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has sort of become something else,” he says. “The video and the

By MELISSA MURPHY AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — It’s the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Tennis great and champion for equality Billie Jean King witnessed the unveiling of a portrait of the late Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii, who is considered the “Mother of Title IX,” in Statuary Hall in Washington. Title IX

By JIM VERTUNO and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Well before the sun came up Thursday, Jazmin Cazares sat on her sister’s bed and wept for the 9-year-old killed in the Uvalde school rampage one month ago. Then the teenager with purple-streaked hair got up for the four-hour drive to the Texas

Associated Press Amazon’s Alexa might soon replicate the voice of family members – even if they’re dead. The capability, unveiled at Amazon’s Re:Mars conference in Las Vegas, is in development and would allow the virtual assistant to mimic the voice of a specific person based on a less than a minute of provided recording. Rohit

By MARCY GORDON AP Business Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have accused Harley-Davidson and Westinghouse of imposing illegal warranty terms on customers and ordered them to fix their warranties and ensure that their dealers compete fairly with independent repair-makers. The companies have imposed illegal warranty terms that voided customer warranties if they used anyone