AP National

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Thousands of Japanese fans bid tearful farewell to their beloved panda couple that made their final public appearance at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Saturday before returning to China for medical treatment. The pair, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, are the parents of Xiang Xiang, the park-born idol that had returned

Associated Press SUNGAI ABU, Indonesia (AP) — Mud, rugged terrain and lack of telecommunications hampered rescue efforts Saturday after a landslide set off by torrential rains smashed down into an unauthorized gold mining operation on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, killing at least 12 people. Villagers had been digging for grains of gold in the remote village

Associated Press PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power. “I’ve never seen so many people homeless as what

Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — When two of his Republican rivals for an Ohio Senate seat nearly came to blows on live statewide television two years ago, JD Vance appeared unimpressed. “Sit down. Come on,” said Vance, the youngest and least politically experienced of the remaining candidates sitting in a row on stage. “This

Associated Press KWINELLA, Gambia (AP) — The money that many young Gambian men who left as migrants seeking jobs in Europe send back home every month is a lifeline for their families. They take a dangerous route, known locally as “the backway,” in unsafe boats across the Atlantic Ocean, or trek hundreds of miles across

Associated Press It’s often said there is a thin line between love and hate. But is it OK to sometimes hate your long-term partner? Relationship experts say it’s perfectly normal for couples to experience moments of what feels like genuine hatred. Terri Orbuch is a sociology professor and author of “Five Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage

Associated Press RENO, Nev. (AP) — The top election official in a northern Nevada county that is key to winning the presidential battleground state is taking a stress-related leave of absence with just over a month to go before Election Day. The announcement about Washoe County interim Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess creates a sense

Associated Press LEXINGTON, Miss. (AP) — A Justice Department report on the police department in Lexington, Mississippi, has found a stunning pattern of racially disparate policing and harassment. Some residents say they were unaware of the ongoing issues. Others say harassment from the police is a part of everyday life. The Justice Department found that

Associated Press/Report for America NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans and the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion Friday in federal court to take steps to end long-standing federal oversight of the city’s police department. The city and the federal government had agreed to a reform pact for the New Orleans Police Department known

Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Ohio Democratic Party and two voters have sued Ohio’s Republican elections chief over his directive preventing use of drop boxes by people helping voters with disabilities. Friday’s lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court says Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s order violates state and federal laws protecting voting access

Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Alabama and its top election official. Federal officials accused the state of illegally purging people from voter rolls too close to the November election. Federal officials said the purge violates the “quiet period provision” of the National Voter Registration Act

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on Friday were investigating the origin of a suspicious package that was sent to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office. The deliveries prompted an hourslong evacuation. Friday’s episode in Minnesota was the latest in a string of suspicious package deliveries to elections

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham plans to attend the inauguration of Mexico’s next president. In a statement Friday, she announced the outing to Mexico City for the inauguration of Claudia Sheinbaum as the Mexico’s first female president. The second-term Democratic governor and former congresswoman also is leading a delegation to participate

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C, (AP) — A North Carolina appeals court has blocked students and employees at the state’s flagship public university from providing a school’s digital identification when voting to comply with a new photo ID mandate. The three-judge panel of the intermediate-level Court of Appeals reverses at least temporarily last month’s decision by

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Lawyers for Boeing and families of some people who died in two crashes of Boeing jetliners will go face to face in court next month. On Friday, a federal judge in Texas ordered a hearing over Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty to conspiracy in connection with the 737 Max jetliner.

Associated Press Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Herb Brown is celebrating his 93rd birthday with the release of his latest book and a plug for democracy. As he promoted “Darkness Lies in Wait” on Friday, Brown said he had fall elections on his mind. He said he would never tell anyone how to vote. He

Associated Press The most recent major hurricanes to hit the U.S. left hundreds of people dead and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Stone-faced authorities stepping up to a podium. A scrum of reporters jostling for a quote. Popping flashbulbs and pandemonium. The spectacle played out across a public plaza from the federal courthouse where New York City Mayor Eric Adams was arraigned on federal bribery charges Friday morning. But it had

Associated Press A weather TV reporter in Atlanta has interrupted his live report about Hurricane Helene to rescue a woman from a vehicle stranded by rising floodwaters. Video of the live shot shows FOX Weather meteorologist Bob Van Dillen saying he has called 911. The woman can be heard screaming as he tries to assure

Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A few Prince fans visiting the superstar’s hometown of Minneapolis may be lucky to stay at a place that will let them go crazy over his cultural legacy. The white, two-story home featured in the film “Purple Rain” is set to be an Airbnb rental from Oct. 26 to Dec.

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The final three anti-abortion activists convicted of a 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade have been sentenced, including the person considered to be the main organizer of the action. Chester Gallagher was sentenced on Thursday to 16 months in prison. That is by far the longest sentence among 11 people convicted

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billie Jean King is now the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. President Joe Biden has signed bipartisan legislation to recognize King for “a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.” The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s name will remain on the state’s presidential ballot, upholding a lower court’s ruling that candidates can only be removed from the ballot if they die. The unanimous decision from the liberal-controlled court marks the latest twist in Kennedy’s

Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — All the political wrangling over a statewide redistricting issue in Ohio has landed voters in a fix. They are hearing from the campaign behind Issue 1 that it would prevent gerrymandering. But the language they’ll see on ballots says gerrymandering would be required. It’s a war over the word

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Fall for Dance, the eclectic annual festival in New York, is a beloved tradition for fans, not least for its $30 tickets. But the best thing about it is still the variety it brings to the stage. This year’s highlights among 15 acts over 11 days have come

Tangled piles of nail-spiked lumber and displaced boats littered the streets. A house lay crushed under a fern-covered oak tree toppled by the winds. Residents waded or paddled through ruddy floodwaters, hoping to find their loved ones safe. And rescue crews used fan boats to evacuate stranded people in bathrobes or wrapped in blankets. Authorities

LONDON (AP) — A proposal by Wimbledon organizers to expand the site of the Grand Slam tournament with 39 new tennis courts has been given the green light by local authorities. The All England Club’s plans — which include a new 8,000-seat show court with a retractable roof — were approved Friday by the Greater

AP Diplomatic Writer NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden’s administration headed into the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders with high hopes that he could cement his legacy as an international statesman during escalating conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Yet five days of frantic diplomacy focused mainly on preventing the

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota resident who came into contact with a bat in July died of rabies. The state’s department of health announced the rabies death on Friday. The person’s death marks a rare occurrence. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says fewer than 10 people in the the U.S. die from

Associated Press Electric vehicle owners who live in the path of hurricanes should be wary of the risk their cars could catch fire if they are inundated by saltwater as the powerful storm moves ashore. There have been several instances of electric vehicles igniting after past hurricanes, so Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners

Associated Press DALLAS (AP) — The State Fair of Texas is back with a new firearms ban. The fair withstood weeks of pressure from Republicans and a lawsuit from the state’s attorney general. The gates opened Friday at one of the largest state fairs in the country. Organizers put the ban in place following a

AP Health Writer The deli meat company Boar’s Head is being scrutinized by law enforcement officials over a deadly outbreak of listeria food poisoning. U.S. Agriculture Department officials disclosed the action in response to requests for government records. USDA officials refused to give The Associated Press documents about inspections and enforcement at a now-closed plant

Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s outgoing president has always taken pride in his reputation as a penny-pincher, cutting funds for most government agencies and states. But he has lavished political allies with generous cash giveaways in his final days in office while also punishing his enemies in the business sector. On Friday, Andrés

Associated Press Sean “Diddy” Combs was hit with new sexual assault allegations Friday as a woman filed a lawsuit in New York saying she was repeatedly raped and drugged at the music mogul’s homes and became pregnant after one of the encounters. It’s the latest of several similar lawsuits by women against Combs, who also

Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a law requiring public schools to teach about the historical mistreatment of Native Americans during the Spanish colonization and gold rush periods. The Democrat approved the measure on California Native American Day. It comes after Newsom issued a formal apology in

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. announced an agreement with the Iraqi government Friday to wrap up the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by next year, with U.S. troops departing some bases that they have long occupied during a two-decade-long military presence in the country. But

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has refused an emergency appeal from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign seeking to have his name added to New York’s ballot. The justices did not comment in rejecting the emergency appeal on Friday. Kennedy has been trying to get his name off ballots in key battleground

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The federal government postponed an auction of floating offshore wind leases off the Oregon coast on Friday after developers said they wouldn’t bid and the state’s governor asked that all leasing activities stop. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not set a new date for the sale. It said the

AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Earth’s moon will soon have some company — a “mini moon.” The mini moon is actually an asteroid about the size of a school bus at 33 feet (10 meters). When it whizzes by Earth on Sunday, it will be temporarily trapped by our planet’s gravity and orbit the

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — When the elections clerk in Wisconsin’s heavily Democratic capital city of Madison announced on Monday that duplicate absentee ballots had mistakenly been sent to around 2,000 voters, it ignited concerns about election integrity from a Republican congressman and others on the right. Madison is in the heart of liberal

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Biden administration officials met with port operators ahead of a possible strike at East and Gulf coast ports, with a union contract set to expire late Monday. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Lael Brainard, director of White House National Economic Council, told ports officials

Associated Press/Report for America MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a police officer in northern Alabama allegedly shot and killed a 68-year-old man who had dementia and was wielding a kitchen knife. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is launching an investigation into the shooting that happened Sunday evening in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The deceased has

Associated Press ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Days of torrential rain in North Carolina culminating with tropical downpours from what was Hurricane Helene have officials keeping a close eye on a major dam. More than a foot of rain has fallen across much of the region in the past several days. The two main interstates in

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Tennessee law that bans transgender students and staff from using school bathrooms or locker rooms that match their gender identities. The lawsuit was filed nearly two years ago by a transgender student, identified only as D.H., whose school initially agreed

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s parliament has amended a law to strip power from courts over decisions made by an embattled election authority whose members are appointed by President Kais Saied. Nine days before the presidential election, a majority of members of parliament voted in favor of amending the young democracy’s first election law as

Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey’s former top gambling regulator says gambling regulations need to be toughened to protect young adults from developing addictions. David Rebuck, the recently retired director of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, proposes a uniform age of 21 for all forms of gambling. This includes buying lottery

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A pair of paintings by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh at London’s National Gallery were vandalized Friday when a group of climate activists splattered what appeared to be tomato soup on them, shortly after two other activists were sentenced over a similar attack two years ago. The paintings from Van

Coldplay’s 10th studio album, Charlie Puth starring as himself in Roku’s mockumentary series “The Charlie Puth Show” and EA Sports’ NHL 25 are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases. Sarah Paulson plays a mother in fear of a sinister presence in “Hold Your Breath” and NBC’s hit series “Found” starring Shanola Hampton returns.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A group of Tennessee voting and civil rights advocates says it won’t refile a federal lawsuit alleging that Tennessee’s U.S. House map and the boundaries for the state Senate amount to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. In a news release Friday, the plaintiffs whose lawsuit was dismissed last month said their efforts in

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A group of utilities has completed a high-voltage transmission linking Iowa and Wisconsin. American Transmission Company, Dairyland Power Cooperative and ITC Midwest announced Friday that work on the Cardinal-Hickory Creek line is done and that the line was fully energized Thursday. The line runs over 100 miles between Iowa’s Dubuque County

Appalachian State’s home football game against Liberty in Boone, North Carolina, scheduled for Saturday was canceled because of the impacts of severe weather on the area from Tropical Storm Helene. The school announced the game would not be rescheduled. Heavy rain in the North Carolina mountains brought flooding to Boone and the town was under

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey says that her administration has formally seized a hospital through eminent domain to help keep it open and transition to a new owner. St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boston is one of a group operated by Texas-based Steward Health Care, which had announced its bankruptcy in May. Healey

NUCLA, Colo. (AP) — Wildfire investigators looking for the cause of blaze in western Colorado last month discovered the partially burned remains of a dog — leading to the conclusion that a man’s attempted cremation of his pet sparked a fire that destroyed one home. Law enforcement arrested the man earlier this month and he

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Three Iranian operatives have been charged with hacking Donald Trump’s presidential campaign as part of what the Justice Department says was a sweeping effort to undermine the former president and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral system. The action, coupled with sanctions and rewards for information leading to the accused

PRICE, Utah (AP) — Four people from Minnesota and a Utah man were killed in a four-vehicle chain reaction crash in central Utah, the Utah Highway Patrol said. The driver of an SUV who was pulling onto U.S. Highway 6 near Price on Thursday afternoon overshot the acceleration lane and pulled into the path of

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center and the union representing musicians in the National Symphony Orchestra have come to an agreement on a short-term contract after a brief strike that threatened to derail Saturday’s season-opening gala. The DC Federation of Musicians, local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians, struck Friday following the Sept. 2

Associated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A leading rights group says Rwanda’s army and a militia it backs shelled camps for displaced people in eastern Congo. Human Rights Watch also accused Congo of abuses against civilians. A new report by the group Thursday said that since the beginning of the year, Rwanda’s army and the

Associated Press The U.S. is struggling to replant forests destroyed by increasingly intense wildfires, with many areas unlikely to recover on their own. Researchers are studying which species are likely to survive — and where — as climate change makes it difficult or impossible for many forests to regrow. But they say the U.S. also

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for the severe flooding that hit northeastern Vermont in late July. The declaration makes federal funding available to help communities and individuals in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties recover from damages from the July 29-31 storm. Gov. Phil Scott says this is

LONDON (AP) — Maggie Smith, who died Friday aged 89, appeared in dozens of films over more than 60 years. Roles ranged from her iconic turn in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” to her Professor Minerva McGonagall in seven Harry Potter films, and films from Shakespeare’s “Othello” to the animated “Gnomeo & Juliet.” She

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — An appeals court says a museum in Australia was within its rights to bar men from a controversial art exhibit for women meant to underscore their exclusion from segments of the male-dominated society. Friday’s decision is the latest in the long-running saga of the “Ladies Lounge” exhibition that

AP Basketball Writer Joe Wolf, a former North Carolina captain for Dean Smith who went on to play for seven teams in an 11-year NBA career before becoming a coach, died unexpectedly Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks announced. Wolf, an assistant coach for the Wisconsin Herd — the Bucks’ G League affiliate — was 59. “Throughout

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be deposed as part of a lawsuit brought by authors including comedian Sarah Silverman accusing the company of copyright infringement to train its artificial intelligence technology. U.S. District Judge Thomas Hixson rejected Meta’s bid to bar the deposition of Zuckerberg in a decision Tuesday, saying there

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled to the world from the United Nations that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved. He vowed to continue to battle the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until “total victory.” Shortly after he spoke, blasts

HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a 12-year-old boy died after he was struck by a tree that fell at a southeastern Michigan nature center where he and classmates were on a field trip. The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office says Declan Carter was at the Howell Nature Center on Thursday when the tree fell and