Associated Press

Associated Press

Federal judge temporarily blocks the Pentagon from branding AI firm Anthropic a supply chain risk

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of artificial intelligence company Anthropic in temporarily blocking the Pentagon from labeling the company as a supply chain risk. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin on Thursday said she was also blocking President Donald Trump’s directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic. Lin’s […]
5 months ago

Federal judge extends order requiring access to lawyers for Minnesota immigration detainees

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday extended her order requiring that federal authorities give immigrants detained in Minnesota access to attorneys immediately after they are arrested and before they are transferred out of state. U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel issued a preliminary injunction requiring that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must ensure that […]
5 months ago

New York town official who shot lost DoorDash driver convicted of assault

An upstate New York town official who shot and wounded a lost DoorDash delivery driver was convicted Thursday of assault and firearms charges, authorities said. John Reilly III, the highway superintendent in Chester — a town nearly 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Manhattan — now faces up to 25 years behind bars on the […]
5 months ago

Closing some US airports due to TSA staffing would have big consequences, experts say

Problems at U.S. airports could worsen beyond hours-long security lines and missed flights if Congress does not agree on a way to pay Transportation Security Administration officers. Federal officials have warned that staffing shortages may close some smaller airports to passengers and commercial flights. While no specific airports have emerged publicly as potential candidates, Transportation […]
5 months ago

A Minneapolis woman recounts death of Alex Pretti as lawyers eye a class action lawsuit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers alongside Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke out Thursday about alleged excessive force against people protesting or monitoring the enforcement surge in Minnesota. Georgia Savageford, who introduced herself as Wynnie at a news conference, said she was […]
5 months ago

César Chavez Day events renamed, postponed or canceled after sexual abuse allegations

Many of the celebrations and holidays honoring the late farmworker labor leader César Chavez are being renamed, postponed or completely canceled in the wake of allegations that he sexually abused women and girls while at the helm of the United Farm Workers Union. Labor rights activist Dolores Huerta revealed last week that she was among […]
5 months ago

Having a conversation and creating best practices for your child’s social media use

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In a pivotal moment that underscored how powerful and immersive social platforms can be for children and teens, a jury in California this week found both Meta and YouTube liable for mental health harms to kids using their services. The jury’s decision in the first-of-its-kind lawsuit — centered on social […]
5 months ago

Conflict in eastern Congo is escalating with use of heavy weapons and drones, UN warns

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations’ acting top envoy for Congo warned the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the conflict in mineral-rich eastern Congo is escalating and expanding, with increasing use of heavy weapons and offensive drones posing serious risks to civilians. Vivian van de Perre said that despite the withdrawal of Rwanda-backed […]
5 months ago

Education Department headquarters will relocate as part of Trump’s dismantling

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will relocate from its headquarters to a smaller Washington office as part of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency, officials said Thursday. The agency has seen its ranks thinned by mass layoffs since President Donald Trump took office and its headquarters building has been 70% vacant, the Education […]
5 months ago

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, banned from Olympics, speaks at United Nations

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Vladyslav Heraskevych was shunned by the Olympics, then invited to the United Nations. He never expected that would happen. The Ukrainian skeleton athlete was not allowed to compete at the Milan Cortina Games because of his plan to wear a helmet paying tribute to some of those killed following Russia’s invasion […]
5 months ago

Treasury plans to put Trump’s signature on US bills in first for sitting president, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S Treasury Department is working on plans to put President Donald Trump’s signature on all new US paper currency, a Treasury official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it ahead of the announcement told the Associated Press on Thursday. The move would be a […]
5 months ago

Investigators find gas utility pipes separated before deadly Mississippi explosions

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Separate natural gas explosions in January 2024 that destroyed two homes in Jackson, Mississippi resulted from underground pipes pulling loose from their fittings as spongy clay soil expanded and contracted with rainfall, according to a federal report released Thursday. The first explosion killed Clara Barbour, 82. The National Transportation Safety Board […]
5 months ago

Better Home & Finance, Coinbase to offer mortgage backed by cryptocurrencies

Prospective homebuyers who have invested in certain cryptocurrencies will be able to use their holdings as collateral to fund their down payment on a home as part of a new mortgage offering. Real estate services company Better Home & Finance Holding Co. plans to roll out the crypto-backed mortgage sometime in the next three months […]
5 months ago

DOJ sues SeaWorld’s parent company over ban on wheeled walkers at their parks

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Department of Justice on Thursday sued the parent company of the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens theme parks, claiming that a ban on wheeled walkers with seats at its parks violates civil rights law by discriminating against people with disabilities. The department’s civil rights division asked for a jury trial in […]
5 months ago

Arizona court sets May 20 execution for prisoner convicted of killing man by setting him on fire

PHOENIX (AP) — A May 20 execution has been scheduled for an Arizona man convicted of murder for fatally setting a man on fire during a 2002 attack, marking what would be the state’s first use of the death penalty this year. The Arizona Supreme Court on Thursday issued a warrant to execute 63-year-old Leroy […]
5 months ago

FACT FOCUS: Only some driver’s licenses usable for voter registration under the SAVE America Act

As the Senate debates the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE America Act, misleading claims about the bill’s impact on voter registration are spreading on social media, with elected officials on both sides of the aisle putting their own spin on it. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, wrote in an X post: […]
5 months ago

North Carolina’s photo voter ID mandate can continue as a judge upholds the law

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s photo voter identification law was upheld on Thursday, as a federal judge rejected arguments by civil rights groups that Republicans enacted the requirement with discriminatory intent against Black and Latino voters. The decision by U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs, who presided in spring 2024 over a non-jury trial in […]
5 months ago

Elderly man shoved onto subway tracks dies, prompting murder charge for alleged assailant

NEW YORK (AP) — An elderly man shoved onto the subway tracks in Manhattan last weekend has died from his injuries and his alleged assailant is now facing charges, authorities in New York City said Thursday. Richard Williams, 83, of Manhattan, died days after the Sunday incident, according to police. They said Richard had been […]
5 months ago

Trump administration opens investigations into race in admissions at 3 medical schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has opened investigations into how race is considered in admissions at three medical schools, ratcheting up its pressure campaign against colleges and universities. The Justice Department opened the investigations Wednesday into possible discrimination at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State and the University of California, San Diego. […]
5 months ago

Photos from Caracas and U.S. court where former Venezuelan President Maduro fights indictment

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro returned to federal court in New York on Thursday, seeking the dismissal of his drug trafficking indictment in the wake of his capture in a U.S. military raid in January. Maduro supporters and opponents gathered outside the courthouse while in Caracas, supporters of Venezuela’s former first […]
5 months ago

Video shows Minnesota dad and boy were flown on Delta to ICE detention in Texas

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Airport security video shows another way federal agents are taking immigrants to detention centers — in some cases they’re using commercial flights, with escorts dressed like any other passenger. Video obtained through a public records request shows the 5-year-old boy, who became a face of the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis when he […]
5 months ago

Trump interrupts a Cabinet meeting dealing with the Iran war and rising prices to talk Sharpies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump may believe the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword — as long as it’s a Sharpie. During a Cabinet meeting Thursday that discussed the war in Iran, record-long security lines at many of the nation’s top airports, rising oil prices and skittish stock markets, the president […]
5 months ago

Pennsylvania court upends mandatory use of life-without-parole for second-degree murder

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s high court on Thursday overturned the use of automatic life sentences without parole for people convicted of second-degree murder, saying it violates the state’s constitutional ban on cruel punishment when imposed without a closer look at the defendant’s specific role and culpability. The court majority ordered resentencing in the case […]
5 months ago

Appeals court pauses orders restricting federal officers’ use of tear gas at Portland ICE building

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An appeals court has paused lower court rulings in Oregon that restricted federal officers’ use of tear gas during protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland. A three-judge panel at the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Trump administration’s request for temporary administrative stays in […]
5 months ago