Skip to Content

AP National

Proposal to create a new political mapmaking system in Ohio qualifies for November ballot

Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A proposal to change Ohio’s troubled political mapmaking system has qualified for the November ballot. Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, the state’s elections chief, said Tuesday that Citizens Not Politicians had submitted 535,005 valid signatures in 58 counties, well over the roughly 414,000 needed to make the ballot.

Continue Reading

Knights of Columbus covers shrine’s mosaics by ex-Jesuit artist accused of abusing women

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal group, has covered up defining features of the mosaics in its Washington D.C. shrine after the famous ex-Jesuit artist who designed them was accused of abusing women. The influential Catholic charitable organization announced earlier this month that it was covering the

Continue Reading

Last Sunday was Earth’s hottest day in all recorded history, European climate agency says

AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The European climate service Copernicus says Earth sizzled to the hottest day ever measured last Sunday. It’s yet another heat record that’s been shattered in the past couple of years. Copernicus’ preliminary data shows the global average temperature Sunday was 17.09 degrees Celsius, or 62.76 degrees Fahrenheit, which beats

Continue Reading

Demonstrators stage mass protest against Netanyahu visit and US military aid to Israel

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Protesters against the Gaza war staged a sit-in at a congressional office building Tuesday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress, with Capitol Police making multiple arrests. Netanyahu arrived in Washington Monday for a visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden and a Wednesday speech before

Continue Reading

Florida school board unlikely to fire mom whose transgender daughter played on girls volleyball team

Associated Press PLANTATION, Fla. (AP) — A Florida school board seems unlikely to fire an employee whose transgender daughter played girls high school volleyball in alleged violation of state law. Most of the nine members of the Broward County school board appeared ready Tuesday to reject Superintendent Howard Hepburn’s recommendation that Jessica Norton be fired

Continue Reading

Records show deputy charged in Sonya Massey’s fatal shooting worked for 6 agencies in 4 years

Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A former sheriff’s deputy charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey inside her Illinois home had been employed by a half-dozen police agencies since 2020. State law enforcement records show Sean Grayson’s career included short stints as a part-time officer at three small police departments, full

Continue Reading

Massachusetts issues tighter restrictions on access to homeless shelter system

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has unveiled new restrictions on the state’s homeless family shelter programs. Healey said Tuesday that starting Aug. 1, families who aren’t prioritized for placement in emergency assistance shelters will be eligible to stay at overflow sites for just five days. Healey pointed to what she called

Continue Reading

Clip resurfaces of Vance criticizing Harris for being ‘childless,’ testing Trump’s new running mate

Associated Press Comments JD Vance made in 2021 questioning Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership because she did not have biological children have resurfaced, testing the young conservative senator in his early days campaigning as part of the Republicans’ presidential ticket. During Vance’s bid for the Senate in Ohio, he said in a Fox News interview

Continue Reading

France’s Macron says he’ll keep the centrist caretaker government on through the Olympics

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he will keep a centrist caretaker government on through the Olympics to avoid “disorder,” brushing aside an 11th-hour prime minister nomination by the country’s leftist coalition. Macron made his widely expected announcement in a TV interview late Tuesday. Just prior to that appearance, the

Continue Reading

Democratic delegates cite new energy while rallying behind Kamala Harris for president

Associated Press Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s new presidential candidates. Since President Joe Biden dropped out his reelection bid Sunday, Harris already has amassed support from enough convention delegates to become her party’s nominee against Republican Donald Trump. Some delegates surveyed by The Associated

Continue Reading

Rushed railcar inspections and ‘stagnated’ safety record reinforce concerns after fiery Ohio crash

Associated Press Rail unions say that inspections continue to be rushed and a new federal study reinforces that concern with railroads routinely allowing less than two minutes per car for inspections. There are nearly 200 things to check on every railcar and the Transportation Communications Union that represents workers say there’s no way to do

Continue Reading

Judge approves referendum sought by slave descendants to challenge rezoning of island community

Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia judge has approved a referendum sought by slave descendants to challenge rezoning changes that residents say threaten one of the South’s last Gullah-Geechee communities. McIntosh County Probate Court Judge Harold Webster on Tuesday ordered that a special election be held Oct. 1. He said election officials verified

Continue Reading

Nashville grapples with lingering neo-Nazi presence in tourist-friendly city

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Among the throngs of tourists in cowboy attire who flock to Nashville’s famed downtown honky-tonks, a small but unsettling group has distracted locals and visitors from the neon lights lately with Nazi salutes and white supremacist rhetoric. For weeks, neo-Nazis have livestreamed antisemitic antics for shock value in Nashville

Continue Reading

UN envoy to Yemen warns of a ‘devastating’ regional escalation, but points to glimmer of hope

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. envoy for Yemen is warning that recent developments in the Red Sea, Israel and inside the country “show the real danger of a devastating region-wide escalation.” Hans Grundberg also pointed to a glimmer of hope, saying that Yemen’s warring parties – the internationally recognized government and Houthi

Continue Reading

Brazil to allow miles of selective logging in effort to preserve the Amazon

Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s Forest Service has announced a plan to bring a massive area of Amazon rainforest currently vulnerable to illegal deforestation under national governance Tuesday. The South American country, which holds two-thirds of the Amazon rainforest, plans to make an area the size of Costa Rica available for selective logging

Continue Reading

As Harris eyes US presidency, reaction in her mother’s native India is muted but tinged with pride

Associated Press NEW DELHI (AP) — As Vice President Kamala Harris works to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. president, reaction across her mother’s native India has been muted. While some residents in the capital, expressed pride when asked about her this week, a handful wondered who she was. That’s a contrast to the excitement

Continue Reading

British equestrian great Dujardin out of Olympics after coaching video reveals possible horse abuse

AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Three-time Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Britain has withdrawn from the Paris Games after a video emerged that the sport’s governing body says shows her “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare.” Dujardin says in a statement that the video from four years ago “shows

Continue Reading

Florida’s population passes 23 million for the first time due to residents moving from other states

Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s population crossed the 23 million residents mark for the first time this year because of the influx of people moving from other states, according to state demographic estimates. As of April 1 of this year, Florida had 23,002,597 residents, according to estimates released earlier this month by the

Continue Reading

They made one-of-a-kind quilts that captured the public’s imagination. Then Target came along

Associated Press Over the past two decades, Gee’s Bend quilts have captured the public’s imagination with their kaleidoscopic colors and their daring geometric patterns. Direct descendants of slaves in rural Alabama managed to cultivate a groundbreaking art practice while facing oppression, geographic isolation and intense material constraints. As of this year, their improvisational art has

Continue Reading

Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump at rally

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents. Kimberly Cheatle, who had served as Secret Service director since August

Continue Reading

US is investigating Delta’s flight cancellations and faltering response to global tech outage

AP Business Writers U.S. regulators are investigating why Delta Air Lines failed to recover as quickly as other airlines from a global technology breakdown and whether Delta’s treatment of passengers stranded by canceled and delayed flights violated federal rules. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday announced the investigation into Delta’s response to the outage, which

Continue Reading

Belarus’ foreign minister arrives in North Korea for talks expected to focus on Russia cooperation

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Belarus’ foreign minister has arrived in North Korea as experts predict that he and North Korean officials would discuss forming a trilateral anti-Western front also involving Russia. Video shot by Associated Press Television News shows Maxim Ryzhenkov being greeted by North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jong Gyu.

Continue Reading

Court sentences man over explosive parcels sent to Ukrainian, US and Spanish offices in Madrid

MADRID (AP) — A Spanish court has given an 18-year prison sentence to a man found guilty of sending six letters containing explosives to Spanish government, military and diplomatic targets and the American and Ukrainian embassies. The culprit was arrested in January 2023 for sending the letter to Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and to the U.S.

Continue Reading

Oops. Southern Baptist agency announces firing of its leader, then retracts that announcement

Associated Press In under 48 hours, the head of the staunchly conservative public-policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention rankled fellow Baptists by applauding President Joe Biden’s “selfless act” of withdrawing his candidacy for re-election. Then, his agency reported he was fired — and now they have reaffirmed his leadership. The head-spinning series of events

Continue Reading

Wildfires send about 25,000 fleeing from Canadian Rockies’ largest national park and nearby town

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Multiple wildfires in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park sent up to 25,000 visitors and residents fleeing west over the last open mountain road Tuesday, navigating through darkness and soot following a government alert during the area’s busiest tourist time of the year. “It’s wall-to-wall traffic,” Carolyn Campbell, an Edmonton resident,

Continue Reading

Safeguarding the heartbeat: Native Americans in Upper Midwest protect their drumming tradition

Associated Press HINCKLEY, Minn. (AP) — At summertime social powwows and spiritual ceremonies throughout the Upper Midwest, Native Americans are gathering around singers seated at big, resonant drums to dance, celebrate and connect with their ancestral culture. “I grew up singing my entire life, and I was always taught that dewe’igan is the heartbeat of

Continue Reading

German government, mainstream opposition move to protect highest court against extremist forces

Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s governing coalition and the conservative opposition have presented a plan to protect the country’s highest court against possible future manipulation or obstruction by extremist or authoritarian politicians. The justice minister on Tuesday cited experiences in Poland, Hungary and Israel as illustrating the need to bolster the Federal Constitutional Court.

Continue Reading

Kamala Harris is preparing to lead Democrats in 2024. There are lessons from her 2020 bid

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Kamala Harris stepped onto the national political stage as Barack Obama was leaving. The loftiest forecasts in 2017 suggested the California senator could reach the same heights as the barrier-breaking 44th president. Harris ran for president but ran out of money after struggling to break through and ended her campaign

Continue Reading

Kenya’s turmoil widens as anti-government protesters clash with emerging pro-government group

Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Anti-government protesters in Kenya’s capital have clashed with an emerging pro-government group as weeks of turmoil continue. Hundreds swarmed and burned a motorcycle belonging to people who expressed support for the country’s president, who faces widespread calls to resign. The military made a rare deployment as the protests focused

Continue Reading

Anti-corruption demonstrations break out in Uganda’s capital as people note Kenya’s protest success

Associated Press KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan security forces have arrested dozens of people who tried to walk to the parliamentary building in protest over official corruption. Police roughed up some protesters as they forced them into trucks. Authorities called the protests illegal. The protests are organized by Ugandans who hope to emulate efforts in

Continue Reading

Harris tells roaring Wisconsin crowd November election is ‘a choice between freedom and chaos’

Associated Press WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (AP) — A roaring crowd of battleground state voters greeted Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she opened her public case against Republican former President Donald Trump by declaring November’s election will be “a choice between freedom and chaos.” “In this campaign, I promise you, I will proudly put

Continue Reading

Prominent Algerian opposition figures blast ‘authoritarian climate’ ahead of presidential election

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Eleven prominent Algerian opposition figures have written an open letter this week, denouncing “the authoritarian climate” surrounding the country’s upcoming presidential election and calling for a broad democratic transition. Under the rule of military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, freedom of expression has witnessed a rollback, experts say. In their open letter Sunday,

Continue Reading

Britain’s defeated Conservatives launch race for a new leader, with the winner announced in November

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Britain’s defeated Conservatives will spend more than three months picking a new leader to replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the party has announced. Sunak remains acting leader until his successor is announced on Nov. 2. The right-of-center party was kicked out by voters in a July 4 election that

Continue Reading

Stock market today: Asian stocks fall after a torrent of profit reports leaves Wall Street mixed

Asian stocks mostly fell on Wednesday as markets digested Japanese and Australian business data, after U.S. stocks held relatively steady as earnings reporting season ramped up for big companies. U.S. futures fell while oil prices were higher. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 0.2% in morning trading to 39,508.84, with the Japanese yen trading at its

Continue Reading

Data shows hurricanes and earthquakes grab headlines but inland counties top disaster list

AP Science Writer When it comes to climate, extreme weather and other so-called natural disasters, people generally look to America’s hurricane or earthquake prone coasts and say that’s where the danger is. But that’s not where highest concentration of federally declared disasters are. Try Kentucky or Vermont. An atlas of 713 federally declared disasters and

Continue Reading

In Washington state, Inslee’s final months aimed at staving off repeal of landmark climate law

Associated Press SILVERDALE, Wash. (AP) — Voters in Washington state will decide this fall whether to keep one of the country’s more aggressive laws aimed at stemming carbon pollution. The repeal vote imperils the most significant climate policy passed during outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s three terms, and Inslee — who made climate action a centerpiece

Continue Reading