Associated Press

Associated Press

Heavy smoke from wildfires is darkening skies from the US Midwest to the East Coast, in photos

Heavy, pungent wildfire smoke darkened skies in the U.S. on Thursday from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be dangerous. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
17 days ago

Lawmakers demand answers after ‘bombshell’ report of ICE officer shooting in Maine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic members of Congress demanded answers about Homeland Security’s vetting and training of immigration enforcement agents after it was disclosed Thursday that the ICE officer involved in a deadly shooting this week in Maine had a history of mental health issues and violent behavior. The Associated Press reported that David Brouillette, the […]
17 days ago

Asian shares sink, with Tokyo down nearly 5% as slumping AI stocks drag world markets lower

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares skidded Friday, with Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 down 5% as heavy selling of computer chipmakers and other AI-related shares dragged markets lower. South Korean markets were closed Friday, but shares in Taiwan also fell more than 5%. Stocks related to artificial intelligence have been under pressure for weeks because of worries […]
17 days ago

US airstrikes on Iran appear to have damaged Gulf of Oman port facility

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. airstrikes Friday appeared to have collapsed a tower at Iran’s Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, a key trade route for Afghanistan. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared the image of the surveillance tower appearing to collapse. That image had circulated social media via activists prior to […]
17 days ago

To air or not to air? Nation’s TV networks struggle to find the right balance for Trump speech

As President Donald Trump threatened sanctions for those who didn’t cover his address live Thursday night, the nation’s broadcast and cable news operations wrestled with the thorniest of questions: To air or not to air? Networks and their news operations, broadcast and cable alike, spent the hours leading up to Trump’s address debating how to […]
17 days ago

Why American elections are so complicated — and secure

In a speech to the nation Thursday evening, President Donald Trump said Americans deserve secure elections, and he claimed to be using federal authority to prevent them from being “stolen.” In fact, one of the strongest security features of U.S. elections is the fact that they aren’t conducted at the federal level. America votes in […]
17 days ago

Catastrophic flooding sweeps across Texas, in photos

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Catastrophic flooding has swept across parts of Texas following days of heavy rain, submerging homes and roads, prompting hundreds of rescues and leaving emergency responders working around the clock as floodwaters continue to threaten communities. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
17 days ago

Outrage after ICE agents tackle an elderly man at Las Vegas airport

PHOENIX (AP) — Video footage of two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tackling a man at the airport in the Las Vegas metro area drew public outrage and criticism from elected officials. One video posted on social media showed an elderly man yelling and crying on the ground in Terminal 3 at Harry Reid International […]
17 days ago

SpaceX Starship Launch Aborted on the Pad at the last moment

SpaceX’s mega Starship rocket came within a few seconds of blasting off on a test flight Thursday, but some of the engines failed to start triggering a launch abort. Elon Musk’s company said it will have to figure out what went wrong before making another attempt to send Starship on a space-skimming flight halfway around […]
17 days ago

AP Exclusive: ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close relatives told The […]
17 days ago

Family to hold a vigil for man fatally shot by immigration officer in Houston

HOUSTON (AP) — The family of a man who was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent in Houston is holding a public vigil Thursday evening in response to what the man’s son says is an outpouring of support amid renewed criticism of enforcement tactics. The ceremony for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national […]
17 days ago

Weather conditions again brought devastating floods to a vulnerable swath of Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long before sunrise in Texas, a shallow spot of the Guadalupe River rose above the height of a two-story house in just five hours on Thursday, sending a rush of water through a region still weary from last summer’s fatal flash floods. The dangerous flooding for a second consecutive year set off […]
17 days ago

Hegseth backs low-altitude military flyovers as a series of maneuvers draws scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is sticking to encouraging low-altitude military flyovers after a fighter jet buzzed a Florida beach during a show this week, raising new scrutiny after the Pentagon has dismissed a series of safety reviews of such flights. In the latest maneuver, video spreading widely on social media shows a […]
17 days ago

National Guard deployment to DC will last through Trump’s term

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital is being extended by more than two years and will last until the end of his term. The Pentagon confirmed the extension in an email Thursday, saying the mission will continue until Jan. 20, 2029, “or until terminated by the […]
17 days ago

Homeland Security: Foreign journalist visas set at 240 days, Chinese reporters cut to 90 days

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration announced Thursday it will drastically shorten visas for foreign journalists in the U.S. to 240 days, down from years, and cut those for Chinese journalists to only 90 days, raising concerns over press freedom in the United States and retaliation against American journalists overseas. The final rule announced by […]
17 days ago

Complaint accuses doctor involved in failed Tennessee execution of violating ethics

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The sister of a Tennessee death row inmate whose execution was halted because of problems inserting an IV has filed a complaint against the doctor who was involved. The complaint filed Wednesday with the Tennessee Department of Health by Tonya Hervey says Tony Carruthers suffered excruciating pain during the May 21 […]
17 days ago

Mets-Phillies start time moved, MLS game between Vancouver-Chicago ppd. due to wildfire smoke

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The start time for the MLB game between the Canada and northern Minnesota, and an MLS game in Chicago was postponed. Heavy, pungent wildfire smoke darkened skies in the U.S. from the Great Lakes to parts of the East Coast, reducing visibility and prompting warnings that breathing the air outside could be […]
17 days ago

Mississippi teachers say new state-mandated process for buying classroom supplies is more difficult

Weeks before the first day of school, teachers across Mississippi say state leaders have made it more difficult for them to access money for classroom supplies. Educators have to complete training before they’re able to spend the money the state gives them for classroom supplies, but teachers say the live training has been hard to […]
17 days ago

House Republicans’ $95 billion Iran war package clears first hurdle

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans on the House Budget Committee advanced a $95 billion package Thursday for the Iran war, farm aid and President Donald Trump’s push for strict new voter ID requirements, moving forward on a party-line vote despite trouble in the full House — and the Senate. Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington framed the […]
17 days ago

Trump media firm plans to sell high speed access to Truth Social posts, possibly Trump’s own

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they […]
17 days ago

Hopes for US-Iran diplomacy still alive as fighting intensifies over the Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, but hopes for a possible diplomatic solution have shown stubborn signs of life. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected suggestions that Islamabad had abandoned efforts to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table after brokering […]
17 days ago

An NYC helicopter that crashed and killed 6 last year shows signs of bird strike, NTSB says

A bird expert from the Smithsonian Institute identified remains from several different types of geese on the wreckage of the New York City sightseeing helicopter that crashed and killed six people last year. Some of those birds average about three pounds.
17 days ago

Trump’s teleprompter operator on unpaid leave for alleged prediction market bets on Trump speeches

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president’s speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi, the White House said Thursday. The firm’s enforcement chief said Kalshi contacted federal regulators about bets allegedly made about what the president […]
17 days ago

Trump’s Labor nominee touts experience and fraud prevention as he seeks confirmation

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Labor emphasized a steady grounding in labor law built on years of experience in private practice, academia and the federal government as he looked to win over senators in a confirmation hearing Thursday. Keith Sonderling has already been on the job as acting […]
17 days ago