Associated Press

Associated Press

UFC fighting cage rises on White House lawn for bout celebrating America’s 250th anniversary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yet another White House construction project is underway, though this one is meant to be only temporary. Crews are erecting an octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn that will host next month’s UFC bout, helping mark the nation’s 250th anniversary — and President Donald Trump ‘s 80th birthday. Online renderings depict what […]
3 months ago

Venue gets mixed reviews as National Spelling Bee returns to DC ahead of White House UFC event

WASHINGTON (AP) — After 15 years at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the Scripps National Spelling Bee moved this year to a grand stage befitting the stakes of the competition: Constitution Hall, Washington’s largest dedicated concert venue. Not everyone at this week’s competition appreciates the change. “I feel like they should not have moved […]
3 months ago

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner stands by ad slamming Red Sox over private equity

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Graham Platner, Maine’s presumptive Democratic Senate nominee, began Memorial Day weekend by releasing an ad on the cable station that airs Boston Red Sox games accusing team owners of ruining the storied franchise. He then ended it by criticizing the team’s ownership for pulling the critical message from the air. It […]
3 months ago

Supreme Court sides with Trump in dispute over immigration judges’ speech restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with President Donald Trump’s administration in a lawsuit over speech restrictions for immigration judges that touched on the rights of federal workers. The justices overturned a lower-court ruling that had allowed the case to proceed and raised questions about whether a complaint system for federal employees […]
3 months ago

Massachusetts Uber, Lyft drivers certify first statewide ride-hailing union amid automation fears

BOSTON (AP) — Drivers in Massachusetts for ride-hailing apps such as Uber and Lyft became the first in the nation Tuesday to certify a union, marking a milestone in the growing effort to organize gig-economy workers amid ongoing concerns over pay, expenses and working conditions. The victory could provide a model for similar campaigns gaining […]
3 months ago

Woman fired by Indiana university over Charlie Kirk post to receive $225,000 legal settlement

A woman fired by an Indiana university over her Facebook post criticizing conservative activist Charlie Kirk after he was killed will receive $225,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused her former employer of violating her free-speech rights, the woman’s attorneys said Tuesday. The American Civil Liberties Union announced the settlement in a federal lawsuit it […]
3 months ago

Trump administration proposes NDAs for federal employees to stop leaks

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration wants all current and future federal employees to sign non-disclosure agreements, part of a continuing crackdown on leaks to the media. The notice in the Federal Register from the Office of Personnel Management posted Tuesday asked for comment on a draft NDA to be used by federal agencies for […]
3 months ago

Early voting begins in South Carolina as senators weigh scrapping primary for congressional races

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Early in-person voting began Tuesday in South Carolina’s primaries, as state senators considered whether to cancel the congressional votes and instead schedule a new primary under revised districts designed to help Republicans oust a longtime Democrat. Among the first to cast an early ballot in the small city of Orangeburg was […]
3 months ago

Maine’s transgender sports initiative halted by invalid signatures

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Maine initiative intended to limit transgender students’ ability to participate in sports has been removed from the ballot because of invalid signatures, the secretary of state ruled Tuesday. The proposal from parents’ group Protect Girls Sports in Maine was slated to go before voters in November. It would have asked […]
3 months ago

Trump administration raises US refugee cap, but only for white South Africans

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Tuesday that it will admit an additional 10,000 white South Africans into the U.S. as refugees this year, increasing its historically low annual cap but still blocking people from other countries from entering through the program. Trump suspended the refugee program on his first day in office and, […]
3 months ago

Several people suffer burn, inhalation injuries when tank implodes at Washington pulp and paper mill

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Several people suffered chemical burns and inhalation injuries Tuesday morning when a tank containing hazardous liquid imploded at a pulp and paper mill in southwestern Washington state, authorities said. It was not immediately clear how many people had been injured, but Mike Gorsuch, battalion chief with the fire department in Longview, […]
3 months ago

The Latest: Paxton aims to defeat Cornyn in runoff for GOP Senate nomination

Texans will vote Tuesday in a U.S. Senate primary runoff where incumbent four-term Sen. John Cornyn is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in an expensive, drawn-out race that has caught President Donald Trump’s attention. Trump’s endorsement of Paxton, who he called ‘a true MAGA Warrior,’ came late in the race and marked another effort […]
3 months ago

Supreme Court won’t intervene in discrimination suit led by Black ex-head coach Flores against NFL

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to intervene in a discrimination lawsuit led by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores against the NFL, allowing the case to proceed toward trial. The justices rebuffed an appeal from the league, which wanted the case handled through its arbitration process rather than open court […]
3 months ago

Supreme Court rejects Florida’s bid to sue Western states over truck licenses for immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Florida’s long shot attempt to sue California and Washington state over the issuance of commercial driver licenses to truckers who don’t speak English and are not authorized to be in the United States. The case stems from a crash in Florida last year that killed three […]
3 months ago

Consumer confidence dented with gas prices around $4.50 and inflation still elevated

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence declined slightly this month as gas prices stayed high and inflation remained elevated, a sharp contrast to soaring stock prices that have neared record levels. The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index slipped 0.7 points to 93.1 in May, the first decline after three months of gains. The index follows […]
3 months ago

Federal court blocks Alabama plan for new congressional districts that could help Republicans

Federal judges on Tuesday temporarily blocked Alabama’s plan to use a new congressional map that could give Republicans an advantage in a key House race in the midterm elections. A three-judge panel in the state’s long-running redistricting case issued the preliminary injunction that prevents the state, at least for now, from switching maps. It requires […]
3 months ago

The Latest: Iran deal progress is murky after US military says it carried out ‘self-defense’ strikes

President Donald Trump insists a peace deal is close on this 88th day of the Iran war, but Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. air strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations continue. Meanwhile, state media in Lebanon reports that Israel has killed 12 more people in another strike. Iran has demanded […]
3 months ago

Iran condemns US strikes as a show of ‘bad faith’ and begins restoring internet after long shutdown

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war, and the Islamic Republic began restoring internet access after one of the longest nationwide shutdowns ever. The U.S. military characterized […]
3 months ago

Releasing cool water protects fish in the Grand Canyon. That comes at cost to hydropower

As the Colorado River and its once massive reservoirs shrink from overuse and climate change, officials are faced with a decision that pits conservation against ratepayer costs for electricity. To fight off predators of the humpback chub, a threatened fish native to the river, Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona would need to do what […]
3 months ago

Oil giant BP ousts chairman over ‘conduct’

BP has ousted its chairman over what it called serious concerns related to “important governance standards, oversight and conduct.” The departure was abrupt and unexpected, with Albert Manifold having been appointed to the position just last year. BP’s board named Ian Tyler as interim chair on Tuesday, effective immediately. The company said that it will […]
3 months ago

Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

LONDON (AP) — Temperature records have toppled as a spring heatwave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe on Tuesday, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down. London recorded a rare “tropical night,” defined as one in which the temperature does […]
3 months ago

Congressional Black Caucus presses companies in the US to oppose Republican redistricting push

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday called on major corporations across the U.S., including those that previously expressed support for voting rights and racial justice, to oppose redistricting efforts by Republican-led states that seek to eliminate majority-Black U.S. House districts. In a letter sent to more than 250 companies, members of the […]
3 months ago

Trump will see doctors for his annual physical. What the public finds out is up to him

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to get a medical exam on Tuesday, putting his health under renewed public scrutiny after he has worked to dismiss concerns over his age and stamina. The 79-year-old president is scheduled to visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what the White House described as annual […]
3 months ago

Israeli strike on village in eastern Lebanon kills 12

BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a village in eastern Lebanon killed 12 people, the country’s state-run National News Agency said Tuesday. The strike late Monday in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley area came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorized more intensive strikes targeting the Hezbollah militant group across Lebanon. The […]
3 months ago