Top General News
Biden and Trump, trading barbs, agree to 2 presidential debates, in June and September
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump on Wednesday agreed to hold two campaign debates — the first on June 27 hosted by CNN and the second on Sept. 10 hosted by ABC — setting the stage for their first presidential face-off to play out in just over a month. ...
Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday while greeting supporters at an event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe weeks before an election. ...
Russia's Putin arrives in China for state visit in a show of unity between the authoritarian allies
BEIJING (AP) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin landed Thursday in Beijing for a two-day state visit to China, in a show of unity between the authoritarian allies as Moscow presses forward with a new offensive in Ukraine. Putin’s visit comes as Russia has become more...
Supreme Court orders Louisiana to use congressional map with additional Black district in 2024 vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections in 2024 using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that...
The jurors in Trump's hush money trial are getting a front row seat to history -- most of the time
A gag order. The House Speaker turning up outside court. Angry denouncements of the judge overseeing the case. Some of the most explosive moments in Donald Trump's hush money trial have played out for most of the world to see — except for the people who are actually deciding his...
Netanyahu fends off criticism at home and abroad over his lack of a postwar plan for Gaza
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday fended off criticism that he is not planning for a postwar reality in the Gaza Strip, saying it was impossible to prepare for any scenario in the embattled Palestinian enclave until Hamas is defeated. Netanyahu...
Reported sex assaults in the US military have dropped. That reverses what had been a growing problem
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of reported sexual assaults across the military decreased last year, and a confidential survey found a 19% drop in the number of service members who said they had experienced some type of unwanted sexual contact, according to new figures obtained by The Associated...
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday. ...
Fewer US overdose deaths were reported last year, but experts are still cautious
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data posted Wednesday. Agency officials noted the data is provisional and could change after more analysis, but that they still expect a drop when the final...
This, too, could pass: Christian group's rule keeping beaches closed on Sunday mornings may end
OCEAN GROVE, N.J. (AP) — In this seaside community that calls itself “God's Square Mile at the Jersey Shore,” all the land is owned by a religious group that has for generations enforced an 11th Commandment: Thou shalt stay off the beach on Sunday morning. But there are signs...
Latest General News
7 postal workers charged with mail theft from Rhode Island distribution hub
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Federal prosecutors charged seven postal workers with stealing mail — targeting brightly colored cards that might contain checks or gift cards — as part of mail theft ring, officials said Wednesday. A supervisor and six workers collaborated to remove...
VP Harris was gifted tickets to one of the summer's hottest shows by the artist herself: Beyoncé
WASHINGTON (AP) — EMBARGOED until 6 p.m. ET Vice President Kamala Harris was gifted tickets to one of last summer's hottest concerts by the artist herself: Beyoncé. She also attended college football's HBCU Celebration Bowl, where her alma mater Howard University played Florida...
Justice Department to investigate Kentucky's juvenile jails after use of force, isolation complaints
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Federal investigators will examine conditions in Kentucky's youth detention centers and whether the state has done enough to protect juveniles housed there, the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday. The federal investigation follows a Kentucky auditor's...
Now armed with AI, America's adversaries will try to influence election, security officials warn
WASHINGTON (AP) — America's foreign adversaries will again seek to influence the upcoming U.S. elections, top security officials warned members of the Senate Wednesday, harnessing the latest innovations in artificial intelligence to spread online disinformation, mislead voters and undermine trust...
Indigenous consultant accuses NHL's Blackhawks of fraud, sexual harassment
CHICAGO (AP) — A consultant the Chicago Blackhawks hired to improve relationships with American Indian tribes has filed a lawsuit accusing the team, its charity foundation and its CEO of fraud, breach of contract and sexual harassment. Nina Sanders filed the civil action late...
Like a Caitlin Clark 3-pointer, betting on women's sports is soaring
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Led by fascination with basketball star Caitlin Clark, interest in — and betting on — women's sports is surging. Clark, who made her professional debut Tuesday with the WNBA's Indiana Fever, helped generate record-breaking levels of viewership and...
Judge says Delaware vanity plate rules allow viewpoint discrimination and are unconstitutional
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s vanity license plate program is unconstitutional because it allows officials to discriminate against certain viewpoints when deciding whether to approve applications, a federal judge has ruled. Tuesday’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Kari Lynn...
State Department removes Cuba from short list of countries deemed uncooperative on counterterrorism
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Cuba Wednesday from the State Department's short list of countries that it deems less than fully cooperative against violent groups. In a statement, the State Department said Blinken had found that Cuban and U.S. law...
DeSantis, amid criticism, signs Florida bill making climate change a lesser state priority
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Climate change will be a lesser priority in Florida and largely disappear from state statutes under legislation signed Wednesday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that also bans power-generating wind turbines offshore or near the state's lengthy coastline. ...
Rory McIlroy dealing with another distraction on eve of PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy has all the momentum he could want heading into the PGA Championship as he tries to end a drought in the majors that has lasted a decade. He also has a major distraction. McIlroy is coming off two straight victories, one of them with Irish pal Shane Lowry...
