Associated Press

Associated Press

US sends delegation to Venezuela in first step toward restoring relations after Maduro’s capture

GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) — The United States and Venezuelan governments said Friday they were exploring the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries, and that an delegation from the Trump administration arrived to the South American nation on Friday. The small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to […]
8 months ago

Vivek Ramaswamy’s family bodyguard arrested on drug trafficking charges

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has expressed alarm that a man who worked as his family’s bodyguard is facing federal drug trafficking charges. Justin Salsburey, 43, of Bellefontaine, and his wife, Ruthann Rankin, were each charged late last month with conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute large amounts […]
8 months ago

Minneapolis schools will offer remote learning amid federal immigration enforcement

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis school system will offer families the option of remote learning for a month amid federal immigration enforcement in the city, the district said. The district provided the update in emails to teachers that were obtained by The Associated Press. The move comes as the Trump administration sends 2,000 immigration agents […]
8 months ago

Rapper Fetty Wap released from prison early in drug trafficking case

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Fetty Wap has been released from a federal prison to home confinement after serving just over half a six-year sentence for his role in a New York-based drug trafficking scheme. The federal Bureau of Prisons said the “Trap Queen” rapper, whose legal name is Willie Maxwell, was discharged from Federal […]
8 months ago

California homeowner rolls out ‘unwelcome’ mat for black bear living under his house

ALTADENA, Calif. (AP) — A huge black bear that made its den in the crawl space under a Los Angeles area man’s house for more than a month has finally been evicted. Altadena resident Ken Johnson said the animal began denning beneath his home around Thanksgiving, twisting gas lines and toppling bricks as he came […]
8 months ago

Federal officers are leaving Louisiana immigration crackdown for Minneapolis, documents show

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Federal immigration officers are pulling out of a Louisiana crackdown and heading to Minneapolis in an abrupt pivot from an operation that drew protests around New Orleans and aimed to make thousands of arrests, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The shift appeared to signal a wind down of […]
8 months ago

Trump meets with oil executives at the White House on Friday, seeking investments in Venezuela

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is meeting with oil executives at the White House on Friday in hopes of securing $100 billion in investments to revive Venezuela’s ability to fully tap into its expansive reserves of petroleum — a plan that rides on their comfort in making commitments in a country plagued by instability, […]
8 months ago

The Latest: Anger and outrage spill onto streets of Portland and Minneapolis after ICE shootings

As anger and outrage spilled out onto Minneapolis’ streets Thursday over the fatal shooting of a woman the day before by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, a new shooting by federal officers in Oregon left two people wounded and elicited more scrutiny of enforcement operations across the country. Hundreds of people protesting the shooting […]
8 months ago

US forces have intercepted another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea, US military says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Friday the U.S. forces have intercepted another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea.
8 months ago

Takeaways from AP reporting on Trump administration cuts affecting US water systems

Scores of communities around the United States have aging and decrepit wastewater systems that can put residents’ health and homes at risk. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and former President Joe Biden’s administration promised hundreds of millions of dollars to address the problem, but much of that has been undone in President Donald Trump’s return to […]
8 months ago

Poor communities threatened by aging sewers see crucial aid slashed under Trump

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — Yvette Lyles thought of the modest brick ranch home as a Christmas present for her family. It was close to a state park where she and her kids could picnic, fish and enjoy the outdoors. A place to make memories. But she soon learned her southern Illinois community had a […]
8 months ago

Meta signs three nuclear power deals to help support its AI data centers

Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes. The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in […]
8 months ago

As Trump promises Venezuelan renaissance, locals struggle with crumbling economy

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — At the White House, President Donald Trump vows American intervention in Venezuela will pour billions of dollars into the country’s infrastructure, revive its once-thriving oil industry and eventually deliver a new age of prosperity to the Latin American nation. Here at a sprawling street market in the capital, though, utility worker […]
8 months ago

The Latest: Attorneys general sue Trump administration over freeze of public benefit programs

Attorneys general in five Democratic-led states have filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programs. The Trump administration has cited concerns about fraud in the programs designed to help low-income families and their children. California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York states filed […]
8 months ago

GM hit with $6 billion in charges as EV incentives cut and emissions standards fade

General Motors will be hit with charges of about $6 billion as sales of electric vehicles sputter after the U.S. cut tax incentives to buy them and also eased auto emissions standards. Shares slid almost 3% Friday. The charges that will be recorded in the fourth quarter follow an announcement in October that the Detroit […]
8 months ago

Russia’s use of its hypersonic missile in western Ukraine is seen as a warning to Kyiv’s allies

Russia said Friday it used its latest missile against Ukraine for a second time in the nearly 4-year-old war, a forceful signal to Kyiv and its Western allies as U.S.-led peace talks have entered a new and crucial stage. The hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile hit Ukraine’s western Lviv region late Thursday night. The […]
8 months ago

US will provide $45 million in aid to Thailand and Cambodia in a bid to ensure regional stability

BANGKOK (AP) — The United States, which played a major role in ending border clashes last year between Thailand and Cambodia, will be providing $45 million in aid packages to the two Southeast Asian countries in an effort to ensure regional stability and prosperity, a senior U.S. State Department official said Friday. U.S. Assistant Secretary […]
8 months ago

Israeli strikes kill at least 13 across Gaza, as Trump is expected to announce Board of Peace

DEIR AL BALAH (AP) — Israeli strikes across Gaza have killed at least 13 people, according to health officials, as U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to announce his Board of Peace to oversee the fragile ceasefire. Health officials and family members said at least one child was among the dead in northern Gaza following […]
8 months ago

Trump pick for Gaza board Nickolay Mladenov frequently worked to ease Mideast tensions

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Nickolay Mladenov, the man chosen to serve as director-general for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Gaza, is a Bulgarian politician and former U.N. envoy to the Middle East who frequently worked to ease tensions between Israel and Hamas. His appointment — announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […]
8 months ago

Photos show protests over the shooting of 2 people by federal immigration agents in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland on Thursday, a day after an agent fatally shot a woman in Minnesota. The latest shooting prompted hundreds of people to turn out for a nighttime protest at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building […]
8 months ago

Anger and outrage spills onto Minneapolis streets after ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Good

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As anger and outrage spilled out onto Minneapolis’ streets Thursday over the fatal shooting of a woman the day before by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, a new shooting by federal officers in Oregon left two people wounded and elicited more scrutiny of enforcement operations across the U.S. Hundreds of people […]
8 months ago

Iran supreme leader signals crackdown coming as protesters are ‘ruining their own streets’ for Trump

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader signaled Friday that security forces would crack down on protesters, directly challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to support those peacefully demonstrating. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump as having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians” as supporters shouted “Death to America!” in footage […]
8 months ago

Luigi Mangione heads to court as he fights to block death penalty, murder charge and key evidence

NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione is due in federal court Friday for a pivotal hearing in his fight to bar the government from seeking the death penalty against him in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione’s lawyers contend that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his December 2024 arrest into a “Marvel […]
8 months ago

Asian shares rise and US futures are flat after modest Wall Street moves

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian shares were mostly higher on Friday following mixed moves on Wall Street, where President Donald Trump’s talk of raising defense spending spurred a rally in military-related shares. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.1% to 51,692,70. Shares of Fast Retailing, the fashion company behind Uniqlo, jumped more than 7% after its quarterly […]
8 months ago