Top General News
House GOP votes to oust Democrat Omar from major committee
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led House voted after raucous debate Thursday to oust Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from the chamber's Foreign Affairs Committee, citing her anti-Israel comments, in a dramatic response to Democrats last session booting far-right GOP lawmakers over incendiary...
At Nichols' funeral, Black America's grief on public display
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The sound of the djembe drums started as a low tremble and grew more distinct as the musicians drew closer to the hundreds gathered inside the Memphis church. “We love you, Tyre,” the drummers chanted, referring to Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man...
Biden's handwritten notes part of classified docs probe
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is a man who writes down his thoughts. And some of those handwritten musings over his decades of public service are now a part of a special counsel's investigation into the handling of classified documents. It isn't clear yet what the...
First sweeping federal gun crime report in 20 years released
WASHINGTON (AP) — The most expansive federal report in over two decades on guns and crime shows a shrinking turnaround between the time a gun was purchased and when it was recovered from a crime scene, indicating firearms bought legally are more quickly being used in crimes around the country. ...
Russia hits civilian targets anew, EU officials visit Kyiv
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian missiles hit residential areas in an eastern Ukrainian city Thursday for the second time in 24 hours, while top European Union officials held talks with the government in Kyiv as the war with Russia approaches its one-year milestone. The latest strikes...
Don’t like Phil’s forecast? Check out these rodents instead
Rodents predicting weather trends. Why? Just as fair a Groundhog Day question, though, is this: Why not? And more importantly, why should Punxsutawney Phil always get to, well, hog the press? The spring-heralding (or spring-delaying) small animal has taken firm root...
Iranian film director goes on hunger strike in prison
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian director who was arrested last summer, weeks before his latest film was released to widespread acclaim, has gone on hunger strike to protest his continued detention amid more than four months of anti-government protests. Jafar Panahi,...
Psychedelic churches in US pushing boundaries of religion
HILDALE, Utah (AP) — The tea tasted bitter and earthy, but Lorenzo Gonzales drank it anyway. On that frigid night in remote Utah, he was hoping for a life-changing experience, which is how he found himself inside a tent with two dozen others waiting for the psychedelic brew known as ayahuasca to...
Florida city highlights conflicts over local gerrymandering
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Not far from the postcard images of Jacksonville -- the white sand beaches, the riverfront fountain, the upscale shopping district — is another side of the city. Here, neighborhood roads are pitted with potholes and sometimes unpaved. Weeds swallow...
'Dances With Wolves' actor appears in court in abuse probe
NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — A former “Dances With Wolves” actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous girls and leading a cult must remain held without bail until his next court hearing, a judge ordered Thursday morning. Nathan Chasing Horse, 46, faces charges of sex...
Latest General News
1st phase of Mexican solar project to be operating in April
PUERTO PEÑASCO, Mexico (AP) — In April, Mexico plans to power up the first phase of a huge solar energy project near a beach town popular with tourists making the short drive from the United States. Once completed, the full $1.6 billion project will have a generating capacity of...
NJ man charged with throwing Molotov cocktail at synagogue
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. (AP) — A man suspected of throwing a Molotov cocktail at the front door of a synagogue in northern New Jersey last weekend will remain in custody without bail following his arraignment Thursday, according to federal prosecutors. Nicholas Malindretos, 26, of Clifton...
S. Carolina bill shielding death penalty drugmakers advances
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republicans' quest to resume executions in South Carolina overcame another hurdle Thursday. The state Senate Corrections and Penology Committee approved a bill that would shield the identities of the companies that dispense the drug cocktail used to execute...
Don’t like Phil’s forecast? Check out these rodents instead
Rodents predicting weather trends. Why? Just as fair a Groundhog Day question, though, is this: Why not? And more importantly, why should Punxsutawney Phil always get to, well, hog the press? The spring-heralding (or spring-delaying) small animal has taken firm root...
Hawaii whale dies with fishing nets, plastic bags in stomach
HONOLULU (AP) — A whale that washed ashore in Hawaii over the weekend likely died in part because it ate large volumes of fishing traps, fishing nets, plastic bags and other marine debris, scientists said Thursday, highlighting the threat to wildlife from the millions of tons of plastic that ends...
Correction: Memphis-Police-Force-Investigation story
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — In a story published Jan. 30, 2023, about three Memphis Fire Department employees being fired in connection with the death of Tyre Nichols, The Associated Press misspelled the first name of one of the workers. Relying on the department’s information provided in a written...
Wall Street's rally rolls on, led by torrid tech stocks
NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed higher, led by excitement around tech stocks and a surge for Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms. The S&P 500 rose 1.5% Thursday, a day after hitting its highest level since the summer. The Nasdaq composite jumped 3.3%, led by a 23.3% surge in Meta....
Judges vacates woman's sentence in baby's neglect death
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Bismarck woman sentenced to prison after the death of her 3-week-old baby will receive a new trial after a judge found her attorney gave her improper advice when persuading her to plead guilty. District Court Judge Daniel Borgen on Tuesday vacated the...
Public defender agency to refuse some cases, citing staffing
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A state agency that represents Alaskans who cannot afford their own attorneys intends this month to stop taking clients facing serious felony charges in parts of southwest and western Alaska due to staffing shortages. Samantha Cherot, head of the Alaska...
Israel FM: Fully normalized ties with Sudan later this year
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel expects to fully normalize ties with Sudan sometime later this year, Israel's foreign minister said Thursday, after returning from a lightning diplomatic mission to the Sudanese capital. Eli Cohen spoke to reporters after a one-day trip to Khartoum that...
