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Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian cleaning crew was rappelling in the shadow of one of the world’s most famous sites: Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue. Wearing harnesses and using ropes tied to the balustrade around the statue’s lookout platform, they worked to remove the accumulation of garbage dumped on

Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina Senate has started its homework assignment of coming up with a comprehensive bill to guide energy policy in a rapidly growing state and amid a quickly changing power-generation world. The Special Committee on South Carolina’s Energy Future met for the first time Thursday and heard from

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A truckload of methamphetamine disguised as a shipment of watermelons has been seized at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in San Diego. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the methamphetamine, valued at more than $5 million, was found Aug. 16 when the cargo aboard a tractor-trailer from Mexico was unloaded for a

MIAMI (AP) — A Las Vegas couple says they were removed from a plane and arrested at Miami International Airport after other passengers complained about the man’s bleeding head following a hair transplant surgery. Miami-Dade police say the 27-year-old man and 32-year-old woman had already boarded an American Airlines flight to Las Vegas on Tuesday

EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) — A 14-year-old Detroit-area girl and her 17-year-old boyfriend have been charged as adults with conspiracy to commit first-degree premeditated murder in a plot to kill the girl’s mother. The Macomb County prosecutor’s office says Thursday that the 17-year-old is accused of of entering the family’s Eastpointe home through an opened door

Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Atlantic City’s casinos and two internet-only gambling entities saw their collective earnings decline by 1.3% in the second quarter of 2024 compared with the same period a year earlier. Figures released Thursday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the nine casinos and two online operations

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Two thieves swiped a ceremonial sword and a bullhorn from the office of St. John’s University Coach Rick Pitino, a spokesperson for the Catholic institution in the New York City borough of Queens said Thursday. Brian Browne said the theft happened Tuesday night shortly before 8 p.m. at the

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts gun rights activists are vowing to pursue repealing a gun bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey. The new statute includes a ban on hard-to-trace “ghost guns” and adds requirements to obtain a gun license. Gun rights advocates call the measure an “historic attack” on civil rights.

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s Supreme Court has removed a controversial part of its recent verdict about the minority Ahmadis, apparently yielding to criticism from religious groups and clerics who had threatened nationwide protests. Thursday’s ruling was quickly praised by the Islamists who had earlier sought the resignation of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa for his

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s two largest railroads are expected to soon start rolling their trains again after the government intervened to end a shutdown that arose from a labor dispute. After Canadian National and CPKC failed to reach new agreements with the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union by an overnight deadline early Thursday,

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A local official says armed men killed at least 13 farmers in an attack in north-central Nigeria. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that occurred in the state of Niger on Wednesday. Akilu Isyaku, a local government official, told a radio station that local herders and kidnappers

Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell says the challenge of deterring America’s adversaries should be “front and center” for the next president. McConnell advocated for maintaining a strong military and support for allies, especially in war-torn Ukraine. He made the comments in a speech Thursday in his home state of

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are more likely than Democrats to have a favorable opinion of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recent polls show, as allies of Donald Trump urge the independent presidential candidate to drop out and endorse the former Republican president. Americans have grown more negative about Kennedy in recent polls. Some polls

Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court in Romania’s capital Thursday placed the divisive internet influencer Andrew Tate under house arrest for 30 days, as prosecutors investigate a sprawling new case that involves allegations of human trafficking of minors and sex with a minor. The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision comes a day after prosecutors detained

Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire attorney general’s office says a state trooper who fatally shot a man at a psychiatric hospital in November shortly after the man killed a security guard was justified in using deadly force. The trooper, Nathan Sleight, fired at John Madore on Nov. 17 after Madore fatally

Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld the state’s rejection of signature petitions in favor putting an abortion rights initiative on the November ballot. The ruling Thursday dashes the hopes of abortion rights supporters to have voters decide the issue in the predominantly Republican state. Petition organizers had submitted

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who represented Venezuela over the course of a decade, has died. She was 51. Authorities in Las Vegas say she was found dead in her home Aug. 15 after a worried friend called for a welfare check. The coroner’s office says it is investigating

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A woman is suing the North Carolina State Board of Elections after she says she received a letter from a board investigator asking her to remove a “ballot selfie” from a post on X. The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Thursday. The lawsuit says Susan Hogarth voted

AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — To figure out what really works when nations try to fight climate change, researchers looked at 1,500 ways countries have tried to curb heat-trapping gases. They found that only a few had a real impact — and those that did usually required someone to pay a price. The study

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man dropped his lawsuit accusing former NBA star Dwight Howard of sexual assault after attorneys for Howard alleged the man deleted text messages showing their encounter was consensual. Stephen Harper dismissed the case in a filing in Gwinnett County court on Tuesday. The dismissal was with prejudice, meaning he

AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Updated COVID-19 vaccines are on their way. The Food and Drug Administration approved new shots from Pfizer and Moderna on Thursday, and the companies are set to begin shipping millions of doses. The shots are cleared for adults and children as young as 6 months, and health authorities hope

Associated Press Powdr Corp., which owns multiple ski resorts in the U.S. and Canada, is selling Vermont’s Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, the largest mountain resort in New England, to a group of local passholders, the company said Thursday. Powdr also said it plans to list three other resorts for sale in the coming weeks:

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Four former Milwaukee hotel workers accused of killing a man by pinning him down have pleaded not guilty to murder charges. The former Hyatt Hotel employees entered the pleas Thursday morning. Each of them faces one count of being party to felony murder in connection with D’Vontaye Mitchell’s death

DETROIT (AP) — A crash and large fire along a California freeway involving an electric Tesla Semi has drawn the attention of federal safety investigators. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday it’s sending a team of investigators mainly to look into fire risks posed by lithium-ion batteries. The team will work with the

AP Business Writer The average rate on a 30-year mortgage eased this week to its lowest level in 15 months. That’s welcome relief for home shoppers navigating a housing market that remains out of reach for many Americans. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate fell to 6.46% from 6.49% last week. A

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a man and woman have been charged with manslaughter in western New York after they left their 3-month-old baby alone in an attic with two dogs and the child was fatally mauled. Police say 19-year-old Sulamain Hawkins and Anastasia Weaver were at a home in Rochester in early August

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — A small passenger plane on a domestic flight in Thailand has crashed shortly after taking off from the main airport in the Thai capital Bangkok. Thai media said rescuers found no survivors at the crash site in a mangrove swamp about 40 kilometers southeast of the airport. Nine people were

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Naming two baby giraffes turned out to be a tall order this summer for a Berlin zoo. After the half-siblings were born on June 24 and Aug. 11 in the Tierpark, one of the city’s two zoos, officials turned to a school class and the 18-year-old daughter of the zoo

AP Science Writer How can the U.S. solve its growing maternal mortality crisis? Health experts say one way is to look to other countries. The U.S. has one of the highest maternal death rates of any wealthy nation — hovering around 20 per 100,000 live births overall and 50 for Black moms, according to the

AP Science Writer ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. has one of the worst maternal mortality rates of any wealthy nation. Experts say European countries that have far lower rates of maternal deaths can provide lessons for the U.S. Research shows the vast majority of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Public health experts blame the United

LONDON (AP) — Italian authorities have launched an investigation after two easyJet flight attendants were injured when their flight from Corfu to London’s Gatwick Airport was buffeted by turbulence earlier this week. As a result of the incident, the pilot made an unscheduled landing at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at 1:48 p.m. on Monday. In a

Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — A court in Bangladesh’s capital Thursday allowed police to interrogate two journalists in their custody for four days in connection with the murder of a garment worker, who joined recent student protests against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that forced her to step down and flee to India earlier

Officials say a fire has broken out at a hotel in the South Korean city of Bucheon, killing at least seven people and injuring 12 others. The director of Bucheon’s public health department says three of the injured people are in serious condition. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the blaze. An official with the

Associated Press A pharmacist who worked at a Massachusetts lab has pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of 11 Michigan residents. The deaths were related to tainted steroids, which caused a national meningitis outbreak in 2012. Michigan has been the only state to pursue charges against Glenn Chin and his boss, Barry

AP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ended a four-month slide in July as easing mortgage rates and a pickup in properties on the market encouraged home shoppers. Existing home sales rose 1.3% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.95 million, the National Association

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off the Olympics, U.S. breakout star and medalist Stephen Nedoroscik — better known to the internet as “Pommel Horse Guy” — will compete on the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars.” The casting was announced on Thursday’s episode of ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Nedoroscik is the first celebrity contestant

CHICAGO (AP) — Thousands of Democratic delegates have officially made Vice President Kamala Harris their party’s presidential nominee, after a rollercoaster month that saw President Joe Biden shutter his campaign and boost her to the top of the ticket. That high-level switcheroo meant a lot of changes for party officials, delegates and speakers alike heading

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Police say they arrested a man in connection with an IRA bombing that killed three Northern Ireland policemen in 1982. Martin John McCauley appeared in Dublin’s High Court on Thursday after being arrested on an extradition warrant related to the murders of Royal Ulster Constabulary Sgt. Sean Quinn and constables

Associated Press In many communities people turn to diesel or gasoline generators for temporary power when extreme weather brings power outages. But the pollution these generate is bad for people and also contributes to climate change. That’s driving interest in cleaner alternatives. The days when backup power is needed are becoming more frequent as extreme

AP Business News The Walt Disney Co. has tapped James Gorman to lead its succession planning committee as the entertainment company continues to work toward finding someone to take over the helm from Bob Iger. Gorman, who joined Disney’s board earlier this year, has previous succession planning experience, as he oversaw the process at Morgan

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s navy says there was “no deeper message” in the choice to blast the famed Imperial March — Darth Vader’s theme song in the “Star Wars” films — from one of its warships as it cruised down the River Thames through London this week. A bystander captured the spectacle Monday

Associated Press An afternoon nap can be refreshing, but experts say it also can help you at work or with other activities. Research shows that so-called power naps lasting less than 30 minutes allow the brain to rest in a way that makes you more alert. They shouldn’t be so long that you slip into

AP Business Writer The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose modestly last week, but remains at healthy levels  Jobless claims rose by 4,000 to 232,000 for the week of Aug. 17, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly gyrations, ticked down by 750

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A pair of shows will take over the weekday morning timeslot on FS1 formerly occupied by Skip Bayless of “Undisputed.” Most of the time slot will be taken over by “The Facility,” which will feature former NFL players Emmanuel Acho, LeSean McCoy, James Jones and Chase Daniel. The show will air

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s president has inaugurated the rebuilt tower of a church that became associated with the Nazis’ takeover of power and whose remains were demolished under communist rule. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday it offers an opportunity to reflect on the country’s complicated past amid a surge in authoritarian and antidemocratic

AP Medical Writer LONDON (AP) — Britain’s drug regulator has authorized the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, saying that it’s the first medicine to show some impact in slowing progression of the neurodegenerative disease. But the U.K. government likely won’t be paying for it after an independent agency separately issued draft guidance concluding that the benefits of

HONOLULU (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Hone has formed in the central Pacific Ocean. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu says in an 11 a.m. advisory that the storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It is centered about 1,090 miles east-southeast of Honolulu and is moving west-northwest at 14 mph. Forecasters

Associated Press GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — The largest diamond found in more than a century has been unearthed at a mine in Botswana. The country’s president showed off the fist-sized stone at a viewing ceremony Thursday. The Botswana government says the 2,492-carat stone is the second-biggest ever discovered in a mine. It’s the biggest diamond

Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is urging diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine during a visit to Poland, saying that no conflict can be solved on a battlefield. Modi held talks Thursday in Warsaw with Polish counterpart Donald Tusk, and will head to Kyiv later in the

Associated Press PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Two Russian climbers who were injured on the slopes of one of northern Pakistan’s highest mountains reached a hospital in the region on Thursday, a week after they were stranded after being hit by falling ice. The climbers were part of a five-member Russian team that was attempting to

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first visit Thursday to the border area where his forces launched their surprise offensive into Russia, saying that Kyiv’s military had taken control of another Russian village and captured more prisoners of war. While in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, Zelenskyy said the new

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Some new Ukrainian soldiers refuse to fire at the enemy. Others, according to commanders and fellow fighters, struggle to assemble weapons or to coordinate basic combat movements. A few have even walked away from their posts, abandoning the battlefield altogether. While Ukraine presses on with its incursion into Russia’s

Associated Press BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — The head of the FBI says America is facing heightened threats from many corners at a time when law enforcement agencies are struggling. FBI Director Christopher Wray says he is “hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are

Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court has cleared the way for a measure aimed at repealing the state’s new open primary and ranked choice general election system to remain on the November ballot. The court heard arguments earlier Thursday in a case challenging Superior Court Judge Christina Rankin’s decision in June.

Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — It’s been more than four years since Zhang Peiyi last saw her son, one of two children from her former marriage. Denied custody of both kids, Zhang finally settled in June for visitations with her daughter. But after seeing her only once, Zhang’s ex-wife called the meetings off indefinitely. What

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York state lawyers are urging an appeals court to uphold Donald Trump’s nearly $500 million civil fraud judgment. They argued in court papers late Wednesday that there’s “overwhelming evidence” supporting a judge’s finding that the former president lied about his wealth for years as he was building his

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The strange saga of how two Mexican drug lords were detained after landing in a plane in the United States in July just got stranger. The Mexican government now says it is bringing charges against Joaquín Guzmán López, but not because he was a leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel founded

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican prosecutors have finally won convictions against 11 drug cartel gunmen for the massacre of 122 people who were pulled off passing buses and forced to fight each other to the death with sledgehammers. The 50-year sentences announced Wednesday involved one of the most gruesome chapters of Mexico’s drug war, so

Associated Press Devastated after her home collapsed in the aftermath of Sunday’s deadly flooding in Connecticut, Randi Marcucio got some good news this week that warmed her heart and eased her despair. Sonograms of the single mom’s now-3-year-old son that washed away in the swollen brook next to her home in Oxford were found some

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Lawyers for an Alabama inmate, scheduled to be executed with nitrogen gas this fall, argued in a court filing that the state has ignored problems with the method as it seeks to carry out more nitrogen executions. Attorneys for Carey Dale Grayson asked a federal judge on Tuesday to block the

Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention’s third night showcased a familiar former president in Bill Clinton and introduced more Americans to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. He was little known outside his state until Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate. Walz used his background as a former teacher and

Associated Press The parents of a 23-year-old American taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel gave a moving speech Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention, pleading for the release of the dozens of people who continue to be held captive in Gaza. “This is a political convention. But needing our only

Associated Press GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan police on Wednesday arrested seven Guatemalans accused of having smuggled 53 migrants from Mexico and Central America who died of asphyxiation in 2022 in Texas after being abandoned in a tractor trailer in the scorching summer heat. They were the latest arrests after years of investigation into the