Associated Press

Associated Press

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ April 13 The Washington Post on appeals court ruling that federal government can’t ban at-home distilleries Judges occasionally declare federal laws unconstitutional. But usually when a law passed by Congress has been on the books for more than 150 years, it’s in the clear. […]
6 months ago

AI is a gold mine for spammers and scammers, but Google is using it as a tool to fight back

From an advertisement for an herbal remedy that promises to cure all to a video featuring a voice that sounds just like a movie star, you’ve surely encountered spam and scam advertisements online. And they have likely been created with artificial intelligence. The accessibility of generative AI tools has exacerbated the perennial issue of online […]
6 months ago

Over 10,000 US troops are enforcing the Iran blockade, but no ships boarded so far, military says

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 10,000 American troops are helping enforce the blockade on Iranian ports, and while no ships have yet been boarded, the U.S. military said Thursday that it is warning Iran-linked ships that it could fire warning shots or escalate to other force if they try to outrun the Navy. Thirteen vessels […]
6 months ago

Ranch dressing: An American staple that actually began life on … a ranch

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Ranch is the best-selling salad dressing in America, and it has been since it took the crown from Italian near the close of the 20th century. It’s still jazzing up iceberg and romaine. But ranch now competes with the likes of ketchup and other condiments, a creamy dip for everything from […]
6 months ago

A raggedy toy to a treasured symbol of childhood: The teddy bear

PHOENIX (AP) — The circular muzzle. The little nose tip. The button eyes and two round, fuzzy ears. What is it about the teddy bear that has kept children wrapped around its furry paws for over a century? The quintessential American toy started in 1902 as just clothing scraps and sawdust stitched together by Morris […]
6 months ago

Police say former Virginia lieutenant governor, wife dead in murder-suicide

ANNANDALE, Va. (AP) — Police in Virginia say Justin Fairfax, the state’s former lieutenant governor, shot and killed his wife and then fatally shot himself. Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said Thursday that both were found dead at their northern Virginia home after the couple’s teenage son called 911 shortly after midnight. The police […]
6 months ago

Thousands suffer nausea, delirium and other health issues from toxins in the Tijuana River

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The smell of rotten eggs permeates Steve Egger’s Southern California home, especially at night as the nearby Tijuana River foams up with sewage from Mexico before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Egger, 72, says he and his wife have frequent headaches and wake up congested and coughing up phlegm. Their home […]
6 months ago

Indonesia reviews US proposal for airspace overflight access

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia is reviewing a U.S. proposal on overflight access to its airspace, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The proposal surfaced in local media after Indonesia and the U.S established the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership, which was announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday at the Pentagon. “It is still […]
6 months ago

What to know about Pakistan’s army chief and his role as mediator between Iran and the US

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A 15-second video put Pakistan’s powerful army chief back in the global spotlight. Posted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the video shows Field Marshal Asim Munir descending from a plane in military uniform and receiving a fraternal hug from him. The Pakistani official traveled to the epicenter of the conflict to […]
6 months ago

Trump’s plan to build a Triumphal Arch gets a hearing before a key federal agency

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s design for the Triumphal Arch he wants built at an entrance to the U.S. capital comes up for a review and possible vote Thursday by a key federal agency, one of several projects he is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his lasting footprint on Washington. Trump […]
6 months ago

House moving ahead on bill to protect Haitian immigrants, in slap back to Trump administration

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rare bipartisan moment, the House has agreed to consider legislation that would extend Trump administration’s efforts to end the program. The bill expected for a vote Thursday would require the Trump administration to extend for three years Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, which would allow hundreds of thousands of qualifying […]
6 months ago

Europe has ‘maybe 6 weeks of jet fuel left,’ energy agency head tells AP

PARIS (AP) — Europe has “maybe 6 weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,” the head of the International Energy Agency said Thursday in a wide-ranging Associated Press interview, warning of possible flight cancellations “soon” if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the […]
6 months ago

Killing of Iranian activist in Canada exposes increasingly bitter divisions within the diaspora

NEW YORK (AP) — Masood Masjoody had a long history of firing accusations at those he considered adversaries. So when he claimed on social media last fall that two fellow Iran-born activists were plotting to kill him, it did not get much notice. Then the mathematician disappeared in early February. By mid-March, police in British […]
6 months ago

Astronomers measure the mind-blowing power and speed of black hole jets for the first time

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — For the first time, scientists have measured the instantaneous mind-blowing power of jets blasting from a black hole. The jet power from this relatively close black hole-star system is equivalent to 10,000 suns, an international research team reported Thursday. They also tracked the jet speed: roughly 355 million mph (540 […]
6 months ago

Pope heads to epicenter of Cameroon’s separatist conflict to preach message of peace

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is travelling to the western Cameroon city of Bamenda to preach a message of peace in the epicenter of a separatist conflict that humanitarian groups have called one of the world’s most neglected crises. Leo is to preside Thursday over a peace meeting involving a Mankon traditional chief, […]
6 months ago

The Latest: Pakistan’s army chief to meet Iranian officials in Tehran to push new US-Iran talks

Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. In a related development, China’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart that […]
6 months ago

Asian stocks mostly higher after Wall Street hits record and oil steadies

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks mostly gained while oil prices steadied Thursday over expectations of an extension of a ceasefire in the Iran war and hopes for more talks between the U.S. and Iran. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 jumped 2.4% to 59,549.59. South Korea’s Kospi climbed 2% to 6,215.38. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose 1.2% […]
6 months ago

Pakistani army chief visits Tehran in bid to broker renewed talks between US and Iran

CAIRO (AP) — Pakistan’s army chief is set to meet with Iranian officials in Tehran on Thursday in a bid to ease tensions in the Middle East and arrange a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran after almost seven weeks of war. The White House said any further talks would likely […]
6 months ago

Democrats crow about fundraising in competitive Senate races

Democrats are boasting of eye-popping fundraising hauls in some of this year’s top Senate contests, a potential sign of voter enthusiasm in what remains an uphill quest to win the Senate majority. In the first three months of the year, Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign said he brought in $27 million, while vulnerable […]
6 months ago

Trump to promote tax breaks in Las Vegas, where residents feel the pinch of high gas prices

LAS VEGAS (AP) — President Donald Trump heads to Las Vegas on Thursday to promote the tax cuts he signed into law last year to try to highlight what Republicans see as an economic strength ahead of this year’s elections. Workers who earn tips and overtime are seeing bigger returns this tax season, but those […]
6 months ago

‘Out of many, one,’ says a US national motto. What does that push for unity mean today?

NEW YORK (AP) — The aspirations cut a wide swath through American history since 1776 — from the “All men are created equal” of the Declaration of Independence and the “We the people” of the Constitution, to the “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” of the Pledge of Allegiance. One can find it in […]
6 months ago

Democrat Analilia Mejia and Republican Joe Hathaway compete for suburban New Jersey House seat

DENVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Analilia Mejia will try to expand Democratic momentum in New Jersey as she and Republican Joe Hathaway compete in Thursday’s special election to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by Mikie Sherrill when she was elected governor last year. Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance who has support […]
6 months ago

Could more cattle cause record beef prices to drop? Ranchers say it’s not that simple

MANDAN, N.D. (AP) — It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger, but cutting those costs requires ranchers like Stephanie Hatzenbuhler to raise more cattle — and that’s not an easy ask. For a host of reasons, Hatzenbuhler and other ranchers across the country are reluctant to grow the national […]
6 months ago

What to know about Atlanta-area attacks that killed 2, including a federal worker

ATLANTA (AP) — A man who served in the U.S. Navy after immigrating from Britain has been charged in a string of deadly attacks in the Atlanta suburbs that quickly drew the attention of President Donald Trump’s administration. U.K.-native Olaolukitan Adon Abel, whose name appears in different variations in court and government records, is accused […]
6 months ago