Month: April 2024

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police have arrested two fugitives who escaped a maximum-security prison in February, bringing a 50-day manhunt to an end. Rogério Mendonça and Deibson Nascimento became the first inmates to ever escape from Brazil’s federal penitentiary system. Brazil’s justice ministry said in a statement that the two were arrested in

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Three activists of Viasna, the main human rights group in harshly repressive Belarus, have been arrested and charged with participating in an extremist organization. That’s according to state television on Thursday. The arrests were the latest in a long campaign by authorities to stifle opposition and independent media in the country,

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press Powerball will match a record for lottery drawings Saturday night with a stretch of more than three months without a jackpot winner. It’s that string of futility that has enabled Powerball’s top prize to reach $1.23 billion, the 8th largest in U.S. lottery history. And it’s a sign that the

By MATT O’BRIEN AP Technology Writer There’s a race underway to build artificial general intelligence, a futuristic vision of machines that are broadly as smart as humans or at least can do many things as well as people can. Achieving such a concept is the driving mission of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and a priority for elite

By AAMER MADHANI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that future U.S. support for Gaza war depends on new steps to protect civilians and aid workers. Biden and Netanyahu spoke Thursday by phone days after Israeli airstrikes killed seven food aid workers in

By JILL COLVIN The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump offered a tough message to Israel in its war against Hamas on Thursday, urging the country to: “Get it over with.” In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said that Israel is “absolutely losing the PR war” and

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — A study conducted in Brazil found that Yanomami people examined from nine villages have been contaminated with high levels of mercury. About 300 people of varying ages had hair samples taken and were evaluated by a team of doctors, psychologists, nurses and neurologists. The Yanomami territory,

BY WAYNE PARRY Associated Press BRICK, N.J. (AP) — Pretty soon it will be beach season again at the Jersey Shore. If last year was any indication, it’ll be time to pack the voodoo dolls, whoopie cushions, zip ties and denture powder. Those were just a few of the bizarre items picked up off the

NEW YORK (AP) — About 2 million Black & Decker-branded clothing steamers are now under recall after consumers reported dozens of burn injuries that resulted from hot water spewing out of the devices. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Empower Brands is significantly expanding a previously announced recall of Black & Decker Model HGS011

By LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal program offering loans to small businesses hurt by the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has received 500 applications. Officials said Thursday that the funds could start being distributed within about two weeks. They’re meant to help keep companies afloat as Baltimore’s vital port

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others has rejected arguments by the former president that the indictment was seeking to criminalize political speech protected by the First Amendment. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote in his order Thursday that

By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN AP Science Writer DALLAS (AP) — Some who hope to witness Monday’s total solar eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds instead of by the moon. There’s still plenty of time for forecasts to change, but meteorologists predict that eclipse day storms could blanket parts of the path, which stretches from

By LESLIE AMBRIZ and SIAN WATSON Associated Press BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Oscar-nominated actor Dev Patel is making his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the action thriller, “Monkey Man.” The film was inspired by the Hindu deity Hanuman and centers on a character named Kid who makes a living working in an underground

HARPER WOODS, Mich. (AP) — A dog missing in California since last summer turned up more than 2,000 miles away in Michigan. Police in a Detroit suburb responded to a call about a stray dog last week, picked up the terrier mix and contacted an animal welfare group. Grosse Pointe Animal Adoption Society quickly discovered

By TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The final four of 11 anti-abortion activists charged with blocking access to a Tennessee clinic in 2021 have been convicted of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville says a federal judge found Eva Edl, Eva Zastrow,

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Giancarlo Esposito has been known to steal scenes and help create memorable TV moments mainly as a supporting actor. But the five-time Emmy nominee — four for supporting actor and one for guest actor — is now starring in “Parish,” AMC’s new crime drama. This

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge has ruled that migrant children in makeshift camps along the U.S.-Mexico border waiting to be processed by Border Patrol are in the agency’s custody. That means the federal government must quickly place them in safe facilities. The makeshift camps have become a flashpoint of controversy.

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Legislation that would authorize a lottery and other types of gambling in Alabama is headed to a conference committee. Lawmakers are trying to bridge divisions over sports betting and the number of potential casino sites. The Alabama House of Representatives voted Thursday to reject Senate changes

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — NASA says it’s investigating whether an object that crashed into the roof of a home in southwest Florida last month came from the international space station. Workers for the space agency picked up the object from the homeowner in Naples, Florida, last week and took it to the Kennedy Space Center,

By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose modestly this week, holding below 7% as it has for much of this year. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.82% from 6.79% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Caitlin Clark is capping her illustrious college career with another record-breaking season and another set of prestigious awards. The star guard from Iowa was honored Thursday as The Associated Press Player of the Year in women’s basketball for the second consecutive year. Clark received 35 votes from the 36-member

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (AP) — Police investigating racist incidents directed toward the Utah women’s basketball team when they were near their Idaho hotel while in town last month for the NCAA Tournament say they’ve found an audio recording in which the use of a racial slur was clearly audible. The Coeur d’Alene Police Department said

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Day-trippers to Venice who fail to pay 5 euros ($5.43) to enter the lagoon city’s historic center during a time-limited pilot program launching later this month will face steep fines. Officials said Thursday they will run from 50 euros to 300 euros _ some $55 to $325.

LONDON (AP) — A 75-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of a female British police officer nearly two decades ago during an armed robbery at a travel agency. Piran Ditta Khan was convicted Thursday by a majority of 10-1 after 11 jurors deliberated for almost 19 hours over four days at Leeds

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia prison officials say a K-9 has died after “heroically” protecting a correctional officer, who was responding to a violent attack involving apparent gang members. The Virginia Department of Corrections said in a news release Wednesday that the dog named Rivan died despite life-saving measures. The department says three inmates affiliated

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Civil rights organizations and other groups have filed a lawsuit challenging a new Alabama law that criminalizes types of assistance with absentee ballot applications. The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP, the League of Women Voters and other groups are plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed Thursday

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A doctor from De Pere becomes the first Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District.  Kristin Lyerly entered the race Thursday for the open seat created after the surprise retirement of Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher. She launches her candidacy two weeks before Gallagher plans to step

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A technical error on a navy missile has spurred Danish authorities to issue a warning, saying there was a risk the missile could launch unintentionally — but not explode — resulting in fragments falling in Denmark waters. Denmark’s armed forces said a technical problem arose with a Harpoon missile on board

By JOSH DUBOW AP Sports Writer OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Athletics will leave Oakland after this season and play temporarily at a minor league park near Sacramento until their planned new stadium in Las Vegas is built. The A’s announced the decision to play at the home of the Sacramento River Cats from 2025-27

By MAKIYA SEMINERA Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has undergone a minor elective knee surgery for a tennis injury he sustained about two years ago. His office says the procedure was to address a meniscus tear and the Thursday morning surgery lasted less than 30 minutes. Lt. Gov. Pamela

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Police say a 2-year-old Serbian girl whose disappearance last month gripped the nation died after being hit by a car and her body was dumped in a landfill by the people in the vehicle. Police have arrested two men suspected of hitting the girl with their vehicle when she walked out

By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk’s X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has started restoring complimentary blue checks to some of its users. That’s caused confusion online. Last year, X began removing the verification badges from users who do not pay for the platform’s new Premium subscription —

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — He surveyed the Arizona crowd that had paid to catch a wrestling glimpse of the planet’s mightiest heavyweight, as measured in both box-office heft and ink-stained muscles. Then The Rock let the abuse fly. And as with so many public outbursts these days, attacking his opponents

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press An early spring nor’easter is hammering the Northeast with heavy snow, rain and high winds, with some northern areas expected to get up to two feet of snow. More than 680,000 homes and businesses were without power Thursday morning from West Virginia to Maine. Police say a falling tree in

By JARI TANNER Associated Press HELSINKI (AP) — Finland says it will extend the closure of its border crossing points with Russia beyond the current April 14 deadline “until further notice” due to a high risk of organized migration orchestrated by Moscow. The Finnish Interior Ministry said national security and public order would come under

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says France and its allies “could have stopped” the 1994 Rwanda genocide and “lacked the will to do so.” Macron’s office said in a statement that the French president will release a video on Sunday as Rwanda commemorates the 30th anniversary of the genocide. In the video, Macron

By JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Human Rights Watch says an Israeli strike on an apartment building in Gaza last October killed at least 106 civilians, including 54 children. The New York-based rights group says its investigation found no legitimate military target, making the strike an apparent war crime. It was one of

By MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The maker of a drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease that recently failed in a study says it will pull the medicine from the U.S. market. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals said Thursday it will halt marketing in the U.S. and Canada. In March, the drugmaker announced that its drug

By ASHOK SHARMA Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — Dozens of construction workers from India have left for Israel this week to take up jobs there as the nearly six-month war between Israel and Hamas continues to rage in Gaza. Israel is facing a labor shortage after barring tens of thousands of Palestinian workers following

By KATHERINE ROTH Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — When you’re doing your taxes, it can sometimes be hard to know whether to itemize or take the standard deduction. Tax pros say itemizing generally only makes sense if your itemized deductions together add up to more than the current standard deduction. The three biggest potential

By CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigerian authorities has asked in court for cryptocurrency exchange Binance and two of its executives to be tried for alleged money laundering and tax evasion, the first legal step following weeks of a criminal investigation into the trading platform. Only Tigran Gambaryan, an American citizen and

BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) — As more storms approach California, officials have closed a scenic stretch of iconic Highway 1 where a giant section collapsed into the ocean following heavy weekend rains. The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office had warned residents of parts of the coastal community of Big Sur to evacuate Wednesday before the road

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A federal appeals court upheld a lower court judge’s ruling putting a temporary halt on New Jersey’s primary ballot design, widely seen as helping those with party establishment support. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia denied an appeal by county clerks seeking to halt U.S. District Judge Zahid Quraishi’s recent

By KIM COOK Associated Press Daily lives are noisier than ever, and many travelers are seeking relief in silence. Or as close as they can get to it. Quiet travel is a trend, from serene nature retreats to silent walking, or maybe just the soothing soundtracks of nature on your headphones. For many people, quiet

BRUSSELS (AP) — Police in Italy, Austria, Romania and Slovakia have arrested 22 people as part of an investigation into the suspected theft of hundreds millions of euros in post-pandemic relief funds from the European Union. The 600 million euros ($650 million) in post-pandemic money was meant for Italy, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

By GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister has announced a plan to streamline and reorganize the country’s military command as part of efforts to make the armed forces of NATO’s most populous European member “war-capable.” Chancellor Olaf Scholz set in motion a big increase in military spending shortly after Russia’s full-scale

DETROIT (AP) — With U.S. electric vehicle sales starting to slow, Ford Motor Co. says it will delay rolling out new electric pickup trucks and a new large electric SUV as it adds gas-electric hybrids to its model lineup. The Dearborn, Michigan, company said Thursday that a much ballyhooed new electric pickup to be built