Month: February 2024

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the eastern Caribbean are scouring waters in the region in hopes of finding a missing U.S. couple who were aboard their catamaran Simplicity more than a week ago when police say it was hijacked by three escaped prisoners from Grenada. Police have

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The family of a slain Black man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Georgia deputy who shot him during a traffic stop that spiraled into violence. Camden County sheriff’s Staff Sgt. Buck Aldridge killed Leonard Cure on Oct. 16 during a struggle that began after

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A coal company owned by West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has been found in contempt by a federal judge for not following an order to pay an insurance company to maintain collateral for financial obligations. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that a U.S. district judge found Southern Coal Corp. in civil contempt

By MATT BROWN Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Golden and scarlet balloons adorned an entrance guarded by the Secret Service that led straight to a bar abuzz with excited reunions, a line of attendees waiting to take pictures at a photo wall and a spacious auditorium set to celebrate a unique subset of the

By SAMY MAGDY and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Israel and Hamas are inching toward a new deal that would free some of the roughly 130 hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a weekslong pause in the war, now in its fifth month. U.S. President Joe Biden says a deal

By THOMAS ADAMSON AP Fashion Writer PARIS (AP) — At Paris Fashion Week, Dior unveiled a collection that fused fashion with art, with sculptural figures inspired by cane warriors setting a poignant backdrop on the runway. The show attracted A-list celebrities and revisited the 1960s, highlighting a key moment in Dior’s history when fashion transitioned

By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Democrats in charge of New York’s Legislature proposed new lines for congressional districts in the key battleground state hours after rejecting boundaries created by a bipartisan redistricting commission. The legislation proposed late Monday leaves much of the Independent Redistricting Commission’s recently unveiled map in place, but

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers have begun scrambling for ways to protect in vitro fertilization services after a state Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law. Three providers paused services in the wake of the ruling. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey said Tuesday that

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Horse racing’s federal oversight body says racetracks under its jurisdiction experienced 1.23 racing-related equine fatalities per 1,000 starts in 2023, a much lower rate than at tracks outside its watch. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority report also stated that its fatality rate was lower than the Jockey Club’s national rate

MILAN (AP) — The African nation of Congo has become the latest exporter of liquified natural gas as it launched production of the first cargo load a year after the Italian energy company ENI launched the Congo LNG project with local partners. ENI said Tuesday that the first cargo ship loaded with natural gas will

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers is again asking Wisconsin Republicans to release $125 million set aside to combat pollution from so-called forever chemicals. The GOP created a $125 million fund last summer to cover grants for testing for contamination from PFAS chemicals. But the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press If you watched Lifetime’s Wendy Williams docuseries that premiered over the weekend and felt uncomfortable, you weren’t alone. “Where is Wendy Williams?” premiered over the weekend and featured numerous scenes of the former talk show host unsteady, belligerent, confused and also drunk. Her manager would regularly find liquor bottles hidden

HELSINKI (AP) — Latvia’s government has extended restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens into the Baltic country until next year. Authorities cited Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine which officials say is “still posing a threat to the internal security of Latvia.” The Cabinet of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa decided Tuesday to lengthen the entry

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer Off the charts “crazy” heat in the North Atlantic ocean and record-smashing Antarctic sea ice lows last year are far more severe than what Earth’s supposed to get with current warming levels. A new study says they are more like what happens at twice this amount of warming. The

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Don Henley has resumed testifying in a trial surrounding handwritten drafts of lyrics to Eagles hits including “Hotel California” and his decade-long effort to reclaim the pages. The Eagles co-founder returned to the witness stand Tuesday after a full day of testimony Monday. Three collectibles-world professionals

By KATE BRUMBACK and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A potential key witness for lawyers seeking to derail the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others is expected to return to the witness stand as the judge considers an effort to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Wendy’s is looking to test having the prices of its menu items fluctuate throughout the day based on demand, implementing a strategy that has already taken hold with ride-sharing companies and ticket sellers. During a conference call earlier this month, Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner said that the Dublin, Ohio-based

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Kroger and Albertsons — two of the biggest grocery chains in the United States — had hoped to complete the largest supermarket merger in the country’s history this year. But their plan to compete with big-box retailers by combining forces faces legal challenges that make it look far less

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer American consumers are feeling less confident this month as concerns over a possible recession grew. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 106.7 from a revised 110.9 in January. Analysts had been forecasting that the index remained steady from January

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army is slashing the size of its force by about 24,000, which is nearly 5%. The cuts will mainly be in already-empty posts — not actual soldiers. It’s also restructuring to be better able to fight the next major war. The changes come as

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The number of babies born in Japan last year fell for an eighth straight year to a new low, government data showed Tuesday, and a top official said it was critical for the country to reverse the trend in the coming half-dozen years. The 758,631 babies born

LONDON (AP) — Authorities say three men arrested in an investigation into right-wing extremism have been charged in a London court with preparing to commit a terrorist act, authorities said. The trio was also accused of manufacturing a semi-automatic pistol and possibly targeting an Islamic center. They were arrested on Feb. 21 as part of

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two candidates for mayor in the Mexican city of Maravatio have been gunned down within hours of each other, leading to concerns that someone wants to influence the June 2 election. Experts have predicted that the widening control of drug cartels in Mexico could make the election especially violent. Campaigning formally

By WILL WEISSERT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — As he prepared to take office three years ago, Joe Biden’s incoming administration considered a host of possible options to fulfill a campaign pledge to end the federal death penalty. One idea was an executive order, according to people familiar with the matter. But the White House

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A top court has ruled that two residents of the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda have the right to challenge construction of an airstrip that critics say endangers fragile ecosystems and was begun without any permits. Tuesday’s ruling by the Privy Council is considered

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A Kosovo court has sentenced two ethnic Serbs to six-month jail terms for attacking NATO-led peacekeepers a year ago. But one of them will be released for time served while the other can avoid jail time if he pays a 6,000 euro ($6,500) fine. Local media named them as Radosh Petrovic

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda has made a triumphant return to Teatro alla Scala in an informal role as cultural ambassador, leading the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra. He says he has made its sound more “luminous” with his personal loan of centuries-old Italian-made instruments. Noseda’s energetic performance Monday

By PAN PYLAS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The owners of a quirky 18th century British pub bulldozed after a fire last year have been ordered by a local council to rebuild it, keeping with its previous lopsided specifications. The watering hole — known as the Crooked House for its leaning walls and tilting foundation

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy has arrived to Saudi Arabia with plans to visit the kingdom’s powerful crown prince to push for a peace plan and the return of prisoners of war from Russia. Zelenskyy’s trip Tuesday comes as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — NATO member Greece says it wants to help traditional ally Armenia shift alliances westward, arguing that improved ties with the European Union would boost stability in the troubled Caucasus region. Armenia, which has close military and trade ties with Russia, is reeling from a border conflict with neighbor Azerbaijan in recent

PARIS (AP) — Qatar’s emir is beginning a state visit to France as his country plays a key role in ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is to meet with President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the Elysee presidential palace. The

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s government and union workers have begun a new nationwide strike that threatens to shut down key services while people are angry about soaring inflation and growing economic pain. Since taking office last year, President Bola Tinubu has enacted policies that include doing away with fuel

By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Report for America The federal government will fund 17 projects across the U.S. to expand access to renewable energy on Native American reservations and in other rural areas, the Biden administration announced on Tuesday. The $366 million plan will fund solar, battery storage and hydropower projects in sparsely populated regions where

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Experts from the U.N. Human Rights Commission have appealed to Belarusian authorities Monday to pardon an opposition politician diagnosed with a severe form of cancer while in prison. The 66-year-old Ryhor Kastusiou is the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front party. He is serving a 10-year

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An author and ghost writer’s life story, from prison and drug addiction to collaborating with the Dalai Lama and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu among others, is Oprah Winfrey’s latest book club selection. Lara Love Hardin’s “The Many Lives of Mama Love” was published last summer.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Four crew members of an unflagged vessel that U.S. officials say was carrying Iranian-made missile components are scheduled to appear in federal court in Virginia. Prosecutors are expected to argue Tuesday that they should be held without bond while they await trial. U.S. Central Command Navy forces, including Navy SEALs, boarded

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police have arrested three people in the killing of a man on a subway car last week. The department says Tuesday they were apprehended in the Bronx on Monday in connection with the killing of William Alvarez. The 45-year-old Bronx resident was fatally shot after getting into an

By RAF CASERT Associated Press STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Union legislature has approved a watered-down plan to better protect nature and fight climate change in the 27-nation bloc. It comes despite opposition from the biggest party in parliament and fierce protests from the farming community. The plan is a key part of the