Month: May 2024

By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Maui County is suing major cellular carriers for failing to properly inform police of widespread service outages during the height of last summer’s deadly wildfire. The county is suing Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Spectrum Mobile and AT&T. The county says it sent at least 14 alert

By MATT OTT and PAUL HARLOFF Associated Press Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have expressed interest in buying Paramount Global for $26 billion. That’s according to a person familiar with the details. Sony would be the majority shareholder and Apollo would have a minority stake, according to the person, who requested anonymity because details

By REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The judge overseeing a pivotal antitrust trial focused on whether Google is stifling competition and innovation has repeatedly indicated he believes it would be difficult for a formidable rival search engine to emerge. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta went back and forth Thursday with Google’s lead litigator,

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities have found tents and questioned three people in the case of two Australians and an American who went missing over the weekend in the Pacific coast state of Baja California. The state’s head prosecutor would not say whether the three people were considered possible suspects or witnesses in the

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. official says Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of U.S. forces remain after most American troops left the base in the nation’s capital. Russian trainers arrived in Niger about three weeks ago. It wasn’t clear then

By PETER SMITH Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the practice of homosexuality … incompatible with Christian teaching” — part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination’s longstanding disapproval of LGBTQ activity. The historic vote came

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The former leader of the Michigan House and his wife have pleaded not guilty to financial charges arising from an investigation of how they spent money from unregulated political funds. Lee Chatfield and Stephanie Chatfield appeared in a Lansing-area court by video conference from Kentucky, where they plan to attend

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey has announced that it is suspending all imports and exports to Israel over its ongoing military action in Gaza. A staunch critic of Israel, Ankara vowed on Thursday to continue to impose other measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. A Trade Ministry statement

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer needed a chain saw to complete one of his latest assignments. Hemmer traveled north for “Battle for the Arctic,” a documentary on the Fox Nation streaming service about the U.S. Navy’s preparedness in the region, where he took a brief ride on a nuclear submarine. The

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG Associated Press/Report for America JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi judge granted a request Thursday by the widow of a deceased man who vanished under mysterious circumstances to set standards for a future independent autopsy of her late husband’s body. Hinds County Chancery Judge Dewayne Thomas formalized through a court order comments

By DANICA KIRKA Associated Press LONDON (AP) — It is a record fit for a king, but it’s going online for everyone to see. King Charles III gaped at the 70-foot-long (21.4-meter) hand-lettered scroll as it was presented to him earlier this week at Buckingham Palace, thanking the artisans who produced the document that serves

By BECKY BOHRER and MARK THIESSEN Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says a witness saw smoke coming from one of the engines of an old military plane that crashed last week shortly after taking off on a flight to deliver fuel to a remote Alaska village. In a preliminary

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus’ exiled opposition leader says that she hasn’t heard from her imprisoned husband for 421 days. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said Thursday that holding her husband incommunicado is part of the government’s repressive policies. Siarhei Tsikhanouski has been behind bars since being arrested in 2020 after announcing plans

NEW YORK (AP) — Billie Jean King’s $5,000 check sure went a long way for women’s sports. King used the money from a sportswoman of the year award to launch the Women’s Sports Foundation 50 years ago in 1974. Since then, the foundation has invested more than $100 million to help girls and women gain

By CORA LEWIS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s decision Wednesday to keep its benchmark rate at a two-decade high should have ripple effects across the economy. Mortgage rates, credit card rates, and auto loan rates will all likely maintain their highs, with consequences for consumer spending. The Fed has indicated it

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said an airstrike in Syria in May 2023 that was targeting an al-Qaida leader killed an innocent civilian instead. The investigation by U.S. Central Command confirms early reports from residents and family members shortly after the attack. Central Command said Thursday that U.S.

By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) — Jurors have heard closing arguments in a landmark case seeking to hold the state of New Hampshire accountable for abuse at its youth detention center. David Meehan sued the state in 2020 alleging he was brutally beaten and raped at the Youth Development Center in the

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A candidate seeking the Republican nomination for a central North Carolina congressional seat has announced she’s suspending her campaign days before her primary runoff election.  Johnston County attorney Kelly Daughtry released her decision on Thursday and endorsed her runoff rival Brad Knott in the 13th

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama has authorized the execution of a second inmate by nitrogen gas. The decision comes after the state carried out the first nitrogen execution in January. The Alabama Supreme Court on Thursday granted the state attorney general’s request for an execution date for Alan Eugene Miller.

By MARK M. MENGONFIA and JESSICA DONATI Associated Press MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — Liberian President Joseph Boakai has signed an executive order to create a long-awaited war crimes court to deliver justice to the victims of Liberia’s two civil wars. The conflicts were characterized by the widespread and systematic use of mass killings, torture and

By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer An Iowa criminal investigator suggested to colleagues last year that busting college athletes for online sports betting would impress the public and the powers that be. Division of Criminal Investigation special agent Christopher Adkins wrote in his February 2023 email that if players get suspended or lose scholarships, so

By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s governor has signed a bill putting new regulations on the production and sale of products containing kratom, a plant-based supplement. The law was signed Thursday. It takes effect Jan. 1 and prohibits the sale of kratom to anyone under 21. The law says it must be

By ALLEN G. BREED and JOCELYN GECKER Associated Press Although it might be tempting to compare the U.S. campus protests to the anti-Vietnam War movement of a half century ago, experts say that would be an overreaction at this point. So far, there hasn’t been violence like bombings and the Kent State National Guard massacre

HOUSTON (AP) — Torrential rain has caused flooding in southeastern Texas. Officials in one county are asking residents to leave. Water is being released from a dam and could cause flooding. Officials in Montgomery County on the northern edge of Harris County and Houston on Thursday asked residents to evacuate. The National Weather Service says

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A judge declared a mistrial after a jury said it was deadlocked and couldn’t reach a verdict in the trial of a military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq two decades ago. The mistrial came in

By KENYA HUNTER AP Health Writer Pedestrians who are not white ended up in the emergency room for traffic-related injuries at higher rates than white people. That’s according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were more than 137,000 emergency room visits involving a pedestrian injury between January 2021

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Gangs in Haiti have laid siege to several neighborhoods in the capital, burning homes and exchanging gunfire with police for hours in one of the biggest attacks since Haiti’s new prime minister was announced. Hundreds fled the violence early Thursday. The attacks began late Wednesday in

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The head of Greece’s extreme far-right Golden Dawn party has been granted conditional early release from prison. He had been serving a 13-year sentence for running a criminal organization blamed for numerous violent hate crimes. A council of judges accepted the request by Nikolaos Michaloliakos, 66, who had served the minimal

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado dentist charged with killing his wife by putting poison in her protein shakes is now accused of asking a fellow jail inmate to plant letters to make it look like his wife was suicidal. A police detective testified Wednesday that James Craig offered to pay for the inmate’s release or

WASHINGTON (AP) — Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion deal to buy Pioneer Natural Resources has received clearance from the Federal Trade Commission, but the former CEO of Pioneer was barred from joining the new company’s board of directors. The FTC said Thursday that Scott Sheffield colluded with OPEC and OPEC+ to potentially raise crude oil prices.

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden is holding a special White House dinner to recognize more than 50 of the best teachers in America. The 2024 National Teacher of the Year and the 2024 State Teachers of the Year are expected to attend Thursday’s dinner. The teachers are chosen by an

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press Two years after a leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion signaled that the nation’s abortion landscape was about to shift dramatically, the issue is still consuming the nation’s courts, legislatures and political campaigns — and changing the course of lives. On Wednesday, a ban on abortion after the

By JOVANA GEC Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian lawmakers have voted into office a new government that reinstated two pro-Russia officials who are sanctioned by the United States. The move on Thursday reflected persistent close ties with Moscow despite the Balkan nation’s proclaimed bid to join the European Union. Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s ban on abortions after roughly six weeks is back in court and centered on the definition of fetal heartbeat. A state circuit judge on Thursday began considering Planned Parenthood’s request to block the new law until courts can decide. A ruling is expected in

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Billie Jean King is a 39-time Grand Slam champion and an equal rights champion — and now she’s getting the Breakfast of Champions treatment. The twice-inducted tennis Hall of Famer will appear on a limited-edition box of Wheaties. The cereal maker announced Thursday that the orange packages with King on the cover

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Thousands have rallied in the Slovak capital to protest – again – a controversial overhaul of the country’s public radio and television services, a move that critics say would result in the government taking full control of the media. The coalition government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico approved the measure

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer Tiger Woods is headed to the U.S. Open after receiving the first of what likely will be many special exemptions. Woods has been eligible for every U.S. Open since he played in his first one in 1995 as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. By the time he played his

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO countries say they are deeply concerned by a campaign of hybrid activities on the military alliance’s soil they attribute to Russia, and which they say constitute a threat to their security. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday in a message on social media platform X that actions including disinformation, sabotage,

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers gave final approval to legislation to ensure President Joe Biden will appear on the state’s November ballot. The House of Representatives voted 93-0 for the legislation that now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. Alabama has one of the earliest candidate certification deadlines

CHICAGO (AP) — Police say a 22-year-old man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a Chicago police officer who was slain while off-duty and heading home from work. Chicago police say Xavier L. Tate Jr. was taken into custody Wednesday by the Chicago Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive