Special interest groups

Diversity of LGBTQ characters in film declines, study finds

Jul. 16, 2020 11:42 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Last year saw record representation of LGBTQ characters in the 118 films released by major studios, according to a new study by GLAAD. But for the third straight year, the racial diversity of LGBTQ characters has waned and transgender characters again went unseen. GLAAD called the decrease...

A rental sign is posted in front of an apartment complex Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Phoenix. Housing advocacy groups have joined lawmakers lobbying Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to extend his coronavirus-era moratorium on evictions when it expires, when the 120-day order ending July 22 was supposed to ensure people would not lose their homes if they fell ill to COVID-19 or lost jobs in the pandemic's economic fallout. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona ban on evictions set to end as heat, infections soar

Jul. 15, 2020 9:02 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — Housing advocacy groups in Arizona have joined lawmakers in lobbying Gov. Doug Ducey to extend his coronavirus-related moratorium on evictions, which will expire next week and allow authorities to start removing hundreds of renters in a state that's a national hot spot for both infections...

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks outside of the Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital during a press conference, Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Greenville, Ky. McConnell made the appearance to express his gratitude for Kentucky's front-line healthcare workers and to discuss the impact of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. (Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP)

McConnell: GOP virus proposal for schools, others out soon

Jul. 15, 2020 5:38 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he'll begin to roll out details of the new COVID-19 relief package to senators as soon as next week and suggested it will include new funding for school reopenings, some unemployment benefits and money for health care providers. Expected to hit...

McConnell: GOP virus proposal for schools, others out soon

Jul. 14, 2020 8:28 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he'll begin to roll out details of the new COVID-19 relief package to senators as soon as next week and suggested it will include new funding for school reopenings, some unemployment benefits and money for health care providers....

FILE - Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, center, signs legislation Tuesday, May 7, 2019, in Atlanta, banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as six weeks before many women know they're pregnant. A federal judge is permanently blocking Georgia’s 2019 “heartbeat

Federal judge voids Georgia 'heartbeat' abortion restriction

Jul. 13, 2020 5:30 PM EDT

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Monday permanently blocked Georgia's 2019 “heartbeat" abortion law, finding that it violates the U.S. Constitution. U.S. District Judge Steve Jones ruled against the state in a lawsuit filed by abortion providers and an advocacy group. Jones had temporarily blocked...

FILE - In this Sunday, April 2, 2017, file photo, Tim McGraw, left, and Faith Hill arrive at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The government's small business lending program has benefited millions of companies, with the goal of minimizing the number of layoffs Americans have suffered in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet the recipients include many you probably wouldn't have expected. A Nashville, Tenn., company called “Road Dog Touring, Inc.” was approved for a small business loan of $2 million to $5 million. The company owns the official website for country singer Tim McGraw, timmccgraw.com, and a joint official site with his wife, Faith Hill, timandfaith.com. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Kanye West? Tim McGraw? Girl Scouts? All got PPP loans

Jul. 7, 2020 6:56 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government's small business lending program has benefited millions of companies, with the goal of minimizing the number of layoffs Americans have suffered in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet the recipients include many you probably wouldn't have expected. Clothing lines by...

FILE - Hot air balloons are inflated during the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. The Santa Fe Opera, Meow Wolf and the non-profit organization that puts on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta are among the New Mexico businesses that received loans from the federal government as part of massive effort to support the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, file)

Kanye West? The Girl Scouts? Hedge funds? All got PPP loans

Jul. 6, 2020 7:15 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government's small business lending program has benefited millions of companies, with the goal of minimizing the number of layoffs Americans have suffered in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Yet the recipients include many you probably wouldn't have expected. Kanye West's...

Social media companies face revenue hit from boycotts

Jul. 2, 2020 9:46 AM EDT

Verizon's decision to join the growing boycott against Facebook and Twitter risks hurting the social media giants where it hurts most: their advertising revenue. Advertising accounts for nearly all Facebook's $70.7 billion annual revenue, and a similar share of Twitter's $3.46 billion. Both already faced...

Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden departs after speaking at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, June 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Biden team putting together list of Black female court picks

Jun. 30, 2020 3:23 PM EDT

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden said Tuesday that his team is putting together a list of potential options for his first Supreme Court nominee, which he has already pledged will be a Black woman. “We are putting together a list of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to...

FILE - In this Friday, June 26, 2020 file photo, Barber Mike McAndrew holds a mirror as customer Rob Verrastro looks at his new haircut at Three Saints Barbershop and Shave Parlor in Jessup, Pa. Restaurants, retailers and salons are desperately trying to stay afloat as the U.S. economy reopens in fits and starts after months in a coronavirus lockdown. But billions of dollars allocated by Congress as a lifeline to those very businesses are about to be left on the table when the government's Paycheck Protection Program stops accepting applications for loans Tuesday, June 29. (Christopher Dolan/The Times-Tribune via AP, File)

Billions of dollars in aid for small businesses go unclaimed

Jun. 29, 2020 3:13 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Billions of dollars offered by Congress as a lifeline to small businesses struggling to survive the pandemic are about to be left on the table when a key government program stops accepting applications for loans. Business owners and advocacy groups complain that the money in the Paycheck...

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