Top General News

Final jurors seated for Trump's hush money case, with opening statements set for Monday

Apr. 19, 2024 18:20 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — The final jurors were seated Friday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, and an appellate judge rejected the former president’s latest bid to halt the case as a hectic day in court set the stage for opening statements to begin Monday. The panel of New Yorkers who...

The Latest | Opening statements in Trump hush money trial set for Monday after latest appeal fails

Apr. 19, 2024 18:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Opening statements in Donald Trump's hush money case are set to begin next week after a jury of 12 people and six alternates was seated Friday. The seating of the jury sets the stage for weeks of testimony in a case charging Trump with falsifying business records to suppress...

Israel, Iran play down apparent Israeli strike. The muted responses could calm tensions -- for now

Apr. 19, 2024 19:58 PM EDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Iran on Friday both played down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran, signaling the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regional war. ...

Ukraine, Israel aid advances in rare House vote as Democrats help Republicans push it forward

Apr. 19, 2024 14:17 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — With rare bipartisan momentum, the House pushed ahead Friday on a foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian support as a robust coalition of lawmakers helped it clear a procedural hurdle to reach final votes this weekend. Friday’s vote...

Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska's petroleum reserve

Apr. 19, 2024 15:57 PM EDT

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres (5.3 million hectares) of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm. The...

Emergency rooms refused to treat pregnant women, leaving one to miscarry in a lobby restroom

Apr. 19, 2024 16:42 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to check her in. Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina,...

BNSF Railway says it didn't know about asbestos that's killed hundreds in Montana town

Apr. 19, 2024 20:10 PM EDT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — BNSF Railway attorneys told a Montana jury Friday that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. ...

Chicago's response to migrant influx stirs longstanding frustrations among Black residents

Apr. 19, 2024 16:30 PM EDT

CHICAGO (AP) — The closure of Wadsworth Elementary School in 2013 was a blow to residents of the majority-Black neighborhood it served, symbolizing a city indifferent to their interests. So when the city reopened Wadsworth last year to shelter hundreds of migrants without seeking...

Not a toddler, not a parent, but still love 'Bluey'? You're not alone

Apr. 19, 2024 14:11 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — A small blue dog with an Australian accent has captured the hearts of people across the world. She's the title character of “Bluey,” a kids' program consisting of seven-minute episodes that have enraptured children and adults alike. This week's release of its...

The NBA playoffs are finally here. And as LeBron James says, 'it's a sprint now'

Apr. 19, 2024 10:44 AM EDT

There’s a 64-win team in Boston that ran away with the league’s best record. The defending champions in Denver, a group that won 57 games. A fearless young bunch in Oklahoma City, whose No. 1 seed was no fluke. A trio of Villanova alums in New York, who turned the Knicks into a real contender....

Latest General News

BNSF Railway says it didn't know about asbestos that's killed hundreds in Montana town

Apr. 19, 2024 20:10 PM EDT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — BNSF Railway attorneys told a Montana jury Friday that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. ...

North Korea says it tested 'super-large' cruise missile warhead and new anti-aircraft missile

Apr. 19, 2024 20:06 PM EDT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Saturday it tested a “super-large” cruise missile warhead and a new anti-aircraft missile in a western coastal area as it expands military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and South Korea. North...

4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana's high holiday

Apr. 19, 2024 19:58 PM EDT

SEATTLE (AP) — Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank their customers with discounts. This year’s edition provides an occasion for...

Israel, Iran play down apparent Israeli strike. The muted responses could calm tensions -- for now

Apr. 19, 2024 19:58 PM EDT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Iran on Friday both played down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran, signaling the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regional war. ...

2 mayoral candidates killed in Mexico, bringing the number slain so far to 17

Apr. 19, 2024 19:50 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two mayoral candidates in Mexico were found dead Friday, bringing to 17 the number of contenders slain in the lead-up to the June 2 election. One candidate was killed Friday in the northern Mexico border state of Tamaulipas. Noé Ramos Ferretiz was running for a...

What we know about the shooting of an Uber driver in Ohio and the scam surrounding it

Apr. 19, 2024 19:49 PM EDT

It was a common scam that ended with an uncommon outcome, tragically in an Ohio driveway. William J. Brock fatally shot an Uber driver because he wrongly assumed she was part of a scheme to extract $12,000 in supposed bond money for a relative, authorities said this week. Lo-Letha...

The Latest | World leaders call on Iran and Israel to avoid allowing conflict to worsen

Apr. 19, 2024 19:36 PM EDT

World leaders called on Iran and Israel to try to avoid escalating tensions following the apparent Israeli airstrike on Friday near an Iranian air base and nuclear facility. Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Italy warned of new sanctions against Iran for its drone and...

Mexico's president is getting a little sloppy in the rush to finish projects before his term ends

Apr. 19, 2024 19:32 PM EDT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president is in a rush to finish the big legislative and building projects he promised before his term ends in September, and experts say officials are getting a bit sloppy amid all the haste. This week, legislators from the governing Morena party...

Kansas has a new anti-DEI law, but the governor has vetoed bills on abortion and even police dogs

Apr. 19, 2024 19:25 PM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Friday vetoed proposed tax breaks for anti-abortion counseling centers while allowing restrictions on college diversity initiatives approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature to become law without her signature. Gov. Laura...

A new, stable fiscal forecast for Kansas reinforces the dynamics of a debate over tax cuts

Apr. 19, 2024 19:23 PM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The picture for tax cuts in Kansas and the next state budget remained stable Friday with the release of a new fiscal forecast that reinforced the dynamics of a conflict over proposed tax cuts between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature. ...