AP National

Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Pilot Jim Maxwell logged nearly 25,000 flight hours over five decades flying small planes in dangerous situations, from spraying to kill illegal drug crops in Central America to navigating smoky skies to drop fire retardant as wildfires scorch the Western United States. Once in the 1980s, his plane went

Associated Press GORNJE NEDELJICE, Serbia (AP) — Residents of a tiny village in western Serbia don’t care if their government has agreed with the European Union to open a lithium mine in their sprawling valley: They say it is never going to happen. Planned lithium and borate excavation in western Serbia could push the Balkan

CHICO, Calif. (AP) — California’s largest wildfire so far this year continues to chew through timber in very hot and dry weather. The Park Fire has scorched more than 660 square miles since erupting July 24 near the Sacramento Valley city of Chico and burning northward up the western flank of the Sierra Nevada. Containment

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine gun retailers are now requiring a three-day wait period for purchases under a new law that was among several gun safety bills adopted after the state’s deadliest mass shooting. Maine joins a dozen other states with waiting periods for gun purchases, requiring that gun purchasers wait 72 hours

Associated Press BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Donald Trump traveled to Montana for a Friday night rally intended to drum up support for ousting the state’s Democratic senator, but the former president’s plane first had to divert to an airport on the other side of the Rocky Mountains because of a mechanical issue, according to airport

Associated Press LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Dozens of Maui surfers, canoe paddlers and boat riders made their way into the ocean off Lahaina on Thursday to remember the 102 people killed when the nation’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century destroyed the historic town one year ago. The “paddle out” gathering is a ritual

Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a message to local governments: clear homeless encampments now or lose out on state funding next year. The governor said Thursday that he will start taking state funding away from cities and counties that are not doing enough to move people out of encampments

Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A moderate California Democratic state lawmaker is announcing Thursday that she is switching to the Republican Party. State Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil said she had long been a Democrat, but she and the Democratic Party have moved in different directions since she was elected in 2022. Alvarado-Gil represents a largely

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar jointly demanded Israel and Hamas return to stalled talks on the war in Gaza next week, saying that “only the details” of carrying out a cease-fire and hostage release remain to be negotiated. “There is no further time to waste, nor excuses

Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis is giving $8 million in state money to Miami-Dade County to improve roads and other infrastructure around the stadium being built for the Inter Miami soccer team. DeSantis acknowledged he is a long opponent of spending state money on stadiums but said spending it to

AP Golf Writer SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Morgane Metraux had a round to remember in the Paris Olympics. She was 8 under on the front nine at Le Golf National and got everyone’s attention. The 27-year-old from Switzerland had to settle for a 66. But she holds the 36-hole lead by one shot over former

Associated Press RENO, Nevada (AP) — A criminal complaint says a Nevada man accused of a hate crime admitted he mentioned a “hanging tree” during a verbal altercation with a Black man near Reno. The complaint was made public Thursday after the 74-year-old man, his wife and daughter were arrested in Virginia City on various

Associated Press Missouri voters have narrowly passed a constitutional amendment requiring Kansas City to spend a quarter of its budget on police. Tuesday’s vote highlights tensions between Republicans in power statewide who are concerned about the possibility of police cuts and local leaders of the roughly 28% Black city who say it should be up

NEWCASTLE, Maine (AP) — Maine wants to do more to honor America’s first female presidential Cabinet member. State leaders asked President Joe Biden on Thursday to transform the home of Frances Perkins, who was labor secretary to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, into a National Monument, operated and staffed by the National Park Service. Her homestead

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (AP) — The government of Paraguay has effectively ordered the United States ambassador to leave the South American nation, escalating tensions between the allies in the wake of the Biden administration’s sanctions on a tobacco company linked to the country’s powerful former president. In a statement Thursday, the Paraguayan Foreign Ministry asked the

SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) — Noah Lyles said he tested positive for COVID two days before he finished third in the 200-meter final at the Paris Olympics on Thursday night. Lyles said he tested positive early Tuesday morning and quickly got into quarantine. He participated in the 200-meter semifinal on Wednesday, where he finished second. Lyles’

Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Much of New Orleans was under a boil water advisory two days after a Mylar balloon struck power lines near the water plant, leading to a drop in water pressure. Utility companies nationwide have been warning for years about the hazards of Mylar balloons. The metallic, film-coated balloons have

Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two West Virginia correctional officers accused of failing to intervene as their colleagues beat an incarcerated man to death in 2022 have pleaded guilty in federal court. Former Southern Regional Jail employees Jacob Boothe and Ashley Toney admitted to violating 37-year-old Quantez Burks’s civil rights by not protecting him

AP Media Writer ABC News says Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have agreed to a Sept. 10 debate. The network’s announcement came as Trump was holding a news conference Thursday, where he said he is pushing for two other debates with Harris in September, to be hold on Fox News and

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Legal experts say a lawsuit stemming from the Titan submersible disaster felt inevitable, but winning a big judgment against the owner of the vessel could be very difficult. The family of French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet filed a more than $50 million civil lawsuit against submersible owner OceanGate earlier this

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. jury has convicted former Mozambican Finance Minister Manuel Chang in a financial conspiracy case that welled up from from his country’s “tuna bond” scandal. A federal jury in New York delivered the verdict Thursday. Chang was accused of accepting bribes to put his African nation secretly on

Associated Press Police are investigating how a woman died in a baggage room at O’Hare International Airport. Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said emergency responders called to the airport around 7:45 a.m. Thursday found the woman entangled in a conveyer belt system in a baggage room. The room was not publicly accessible, and it’s

The “Yellowstone” sequel has its lead. Paramount announced Thursday that Oscar nominee Michelle Pfeiffer would executive produce and star in “Madison.” The series was first promised when it was announced last year that ‘Yellowstone’ second half of its fifth season would air in November 2024, wrapping up the series. “Madison” follows a family of New

AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA is wrestling over how and when to bring two astronauts back from the International Space Station, after repeatedly delaying their return aboard Boeing’s troubled capsule. Do they take a chance and send them home soon in Boeing’s Starliner? Or wait and bring them back next year

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — The search is on for a small alligator in Erie, Pennsylvania, after it was caught on video last weekend swimming just off the shore of Lake Erie. The first sighting was Sunday, according to the Erie Times-News, and since then animal rescue specialists have been scouring the area. There are reports

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Texas Rangers have visited the White House to celebrate their 2023 World Series victory with President Joe Biden. He noted during the Thursday visit that the team was making a triumphant return to the city where the franchise was born. “You’re back in the nation’s capital as world champions,”

Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — California’s governor flew in for the young bears’ debut. Throngs of media gathered inside the zoo, while the city of San Diego warned of traffic jams ahead of the much-anticipated event Thursday. The San Diego Zoo rolled out the red carpet for the first public showing of its celebrity

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say the body of a 20-year-old New Mexico woman has been recovered in Grand Canyon National Park. It’s the third reported death in the canyon in the past two week. Park officials said Thursday that the body of Leticia A. Castillo of Albuquerque was located Tuesday about

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, took time out of his Olympic duties to rally a group of enthusiastic supporters in Paris. He told donors at a private fundraiser Thursday that his wife was “ready” and heaped praise on her newly minted running mate, Tim Walz. He also said

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s government has kicked out Nicaragua’s ambassador to the nation in retaliation for a similar move by the Central American country’s President Daniel Ortega. Brazil’s foreign ministry confirmed Thursday to The Associated Press that it had decided to expel Nicaraguan ambassador Fulvia Patricia Castro Matu. It said Brazil’s ambassador

Associated Press Authorities say two men linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are facing terrorism charges in the U.S. in connection with the interception of a vessel in the Arabian Sea that resulted in the deaths of two Navy SEALs. The new indictment announced Thursday by federal prosecutors in Virginia charges two Iranian brothers and the

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Six University of Georgia students arrested during an April 29 protest against the Israel-Hamas war will remain suspended through the fall semester. The university announced the decision Monday after a July 30 disciplinary hearing. The students will also remain on probation for the remainder of their academic careers at the university.

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — As sweaty fans pushed up against one another, clutching their drinks and swaying to the music, Annie Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, was being transported. She recounts that surprise concert in May at the Paramount, an intimate historic East Los Angeles venue, as a kind of exorcism. The

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Protesters have rallied outside Bulgaria’s parliament to denounce a controversial legal amendment adopted the day before that bans talk of LGBTQ+ and so-called non-traditional sexual choices in schools. Thursday’s protest was organized by feminist, LGBTQ+ and other rights groups calling for a reversal of that amendment, banning what supporters call “LGBTQ+

MIAMI (AP) — Federal forecasters are still predicting a highly active Atlantic hurricane season thanks to near-record sea surface temperatures and the possibility of La Nina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s updated hurricane outlook released Thursday says atmospheric and oceanic conditions have set the stage for an extremely active hurricane season that could rank

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Business groups in Mexico are warning of economic damage to companies and thousands of regular citizens as a protest blockade of Mexico’s main east-west highway reached its second full day. Farmers blockaded the highway between Mexico City and Puebla Tuesday. By Thursday, some truckers and drivers had spent almost two full

Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Families of three students murdered during the 2018 massacre at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and a wounded former student have reached multimillion-dollar settlements in a lawsuit against the shooter. The parents of Luke Hoyer, Alaina Petty and Meadow Pollack each reached $50 million settlements with Nikolas

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who says he broke his ankle jumping into the sprinkle pool at the Museum of Ice Cream in New York City has filed a lawsuit alleging that the facility was negligent for not warning customers that it is unsafe to jump into the sprinkle pool. Plaintiff Jeremy Shorr says

HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — A fire that destroyed a vacant landmark building in a southwestern Ohio community this week is considered suspicious because the building had no utilities. The fire at the former Beckett Paper Company building in Hamilton, a Cincinnati suburb, was reported around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. The building was completely engulfed in flames

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A French police officer who killed a teenager during a traffic stop performed for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The family of the 19-year-old who was shot and killed is shocked and angry. An internal police investigation found that the young man had backed up his car and

AP Health Writer Three people have now died in a listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, federal food safety officials announced Thursday, and the overall number of people sickened rose to 43. The additional death happened in Virginia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Thursday.

Associated Press TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s president has sacked the country’s prime minister and replaced him with another Cabinet member, the latest shakeup in the North African country ahead of the October presidential election. President Kais Saied announced late Wednesday that he was dismissing Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani after only one year in office.

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — After 13 months of what felt like an endless breaking of heat records, the streak came to an end last month. The European climate agency Copernicus said Thursday that July 2024’s average heat just missed surpassing the July of a year ago. While the slight cooling is good news

Associated Press A record multi-million dollar gift to Florida’s only public historically Black university has completely gone up in smoke. More than $237 million donated by little-known entrepreneur Gregory Gerami have been under intense scrutiny since Florida A&M University announced the contribution in May. A third-party report released this week says officials failed to vet

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — Federal investigators say they have uncovered the DNA of a former U.S. Green Beret on some of the 60 automatic weapons he allegedly smuggled from Florida to South America as part of a failed 2020 coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The allegations in court papers filed days after

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Fifty years after his iconic high-wire walk between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, Philippe Petit recreated the death-defying stunt with a performance about seven miles north of the trade center at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The 74-year-old artist sought to celebrate the

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A top U.N. counterterrorism official has told the Security Council that a vast stretch of Africa could fall under the control of groups affiliated with the Islamic State group and affiliated terrorist groups. Austrian authorities say both suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift shows in Vienna appeared to

AP Business Writer The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell this week to its lowest level in more than a year. That’s a welcome affordability boost for prospective homebuyers and homeowners looking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate fell to 6.47% from

AP Sports Writer Breanna Stewart and the other moms on the US women’s basketball team are enjoying some special moments while chasing Olympic history. In addition to trying to become the first Olympic team — male or female — to win eight consecutive gold medals, they are having a rare bonding experience at the Paris

Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Rights groups say Nigerian security forces used gunshots and force to respond to mass protests against hardship and alleged bad governance in the country. Although the security agencies admitted killing only one person, The Associated Press spoke to three families that said their relatives were shot dead during the

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — The final regular-season PGA Tour event won’t be starting until Friday. Wind and rain from Tropical Storm Debby led to the first round of the Wyndham Championship being postponed on Thursday. That raises the possibility of a Monday finish. Tour officials were still waiting to see how much rain Sedgefield Country

Associated Press CINCINNATI (AP) — Republicans are questioning Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s military record after Vice President Kamala Harris named him as her running mate this week. Here’s a look at the issue: He retired before his unit’s deployment to Iraq Walz served a total of 24 years in various units and jobs in the

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A zoo in Syracuse, New York, has welcomed two baby patas monkeys born weeks apart. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo said Thursday that the monkey babies are being raised by keepers because their mothers showed a lack of maternal instinct.  The wide-eyed, big-eared babies, which were born in April and May, were

NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung is recalling more than 1.12 million electric ranges used for stovetops after reports of 250 fires and dozens of injuries. According to a Thursday notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, these slide-in ranges have front-mounted knobs that can be activated by accident if humans or pets unintentionally contact

Associated Press Cookbook author and TV personality Sandra Lee is a co-host and judge on a new Netflix competition series called “Blue Ribbon Baking Championship” out Friday. On the show, 10 bakers compete for a blue ribbon prize and a chance at $100,000. Lee says the show is just one of the many career ideas

NEW YORK (AP) — Author-educator Kwame Anthony Appiah has received a $500,000 lifetime achievement award from the Library of Congress. Appiah, 70, has won the John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, given every two years to “individuals whose outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences has shaped public affairs

Associated Press SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) — “Alien” Romulus,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, is set to be one of the scariest, as well. Director Fede Álvarez, the horror filmmaker behind “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe,” used animatronic and puppet alien creatures, including the famed “face huggers” and the dreaded xenomorph,

AP Health Writer The parents of Kentucky baby who died last fall after drinking bacteria-tainted infant formula are the latest to sue manufacturer Abbott Nutrition. Abbott is the firm at the heart of a 2022 crisis that left millions of Americans scrambling to feed their children. Willow Jade Dellaquila, of Carrollton, was 13 days old

AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A revival of the cutthroat business play “Glengarry Glen Ross” is slated for Broadway this spring, cast with a star from “Succession.” Kieran Culkin will join “Better Call Saul” star Bob Odenkirk and comedian Bill Burr in a new production of an examination of two days in the

AP Business Writer The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits fell last week but remain at slightly elevated though not troubling levels. Jobless claims for the week of Aug. 3 fell by 17,000 to 233,000 last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 240,000 analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting. Weekly