National News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentag...

Flu vaccine no longer mandated for US troops, Hegseth says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the U.S. military will no longer require all American troops to get the flu vaccine, citing “medial autonomy” and religious freedom. “The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance at all times is just overly broad […]
4 months ago
The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demar...

US military pushes for boost in 2027 spending on drones and air defenses used in Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military officials on Tuesday called for spending tens of billions of dollars in the next budget year on drones, air defense systems and fighter jets that have been a key part of fighting the Iran war. As part of President Donald Trump’s push to boost defense spending to $1.5 trillion in […]
4 months ago

College student from China charged with illegally taking photos of US military planes

A college student from China has been charged with illegally taking photos of U.S. military planes in Nebraska during a multistate road trip that included a stop at an Air Force base in South Dakota. Tianrui Liang, 21, was arrested April 7 at a New York airport while trying to leave the U.S. for Glasgow, […]
4 months ago
FILE - Tourists walk past a banner with President Donald Trump hanging on the Department of Justice...

Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a criminal investigation by the Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Southern Poverty Law Center says it’s the subject of a criminal investigation by the Justice Department and faces possible charges over its past use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups. The civil rights group made the announcement on Tuesday, saying President Donald Trump’s administration appears to be preparing legal action […]
4 months ago
A wildfire researcher walks in front of an accessory dwelling unit burning during an experiment at ...

As the planet warms, scientists burn homes to figure out how to best protect them in wildfires

RICHBURG, S.C. (AP) — It took less than three minutes for wind-whipped flames to go from licking the side of the house to shattering a window and working under the eaves to burn everything inside. Weeks later, another house in the exact same spot was burning — again in the name of science. That home […]
4 months ago
Leon Smith, named the 2026 National Teacher of the Year, stands in front of his classroom at Haverf...

Pennsylvania high school history instructor named nation’s Teacher of the Year

HAVERFORD, Pa. (AP) — A high school history teacher in Pennsylvania who helps students look inward to find their strengths and outward to find community inside and outside the classroom has been named the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. Leon Smith, 46, has spent his entire 25-year career at Haverford High School, where he […]
4 months ago
The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demar...

US forces board a sanctioned oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Department of Defense said Tuesday. In a social media post, the Pentagon said U.S. forces “conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction” and boarded the M/T Tifani “without incident.” It’s the latest move in the U.S. war […]
4 months ago
FILE - Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., listens during a rally on Jan. 28, 2026, in support...

Lawmakers weigh sanctions for Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida is facing a critical moment in her political career Tuesday as members of the House Ethics Committee weigh what punishment to recommend after they found she committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, including breaking campaign finance laws. Republicans are already calling for the […]
4 months ago

A well site explosion triggers a large fire and evacuations in Texas, but no injuries

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (AP) — An explosion at a Texas natural gas or oil well site set off a large fire that was seen for miles and led to some evacuations, but caused no injuries, authorities said Tuesday. The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office received numerous calls late Monday of a loud explosion in Etoile in eastern […]
4 months ago
Gregory Witscher, owner of Understory Farm, harvests tulips, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Bridport, V...

Northeast flower and fruit farmers grapple with whiplash weather

BRIDPORT, Vt. (AP) — An abrupt swing from hot weather to cold across the Northeast is frustrating some flower and fruit farmers who have had to either harvest blooms extra early or fear they could lose some crops altogether. Frosty nights aren’t unusual this time of year. Across the region, the average date of the […]
4 months ago
FILE - An LGBTQ+ rights supporter holds a flag in the hallway outside an Iowa House Judiciary subco...

Human Rights Campaign targets battleground districts during broader reckoning over LGBTQ+ rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, is vaulting into the midterms with a $15 million investment targeting Republicans in battleground districts after a series of setbacks in recent years. “I think that this is the election that’s going to be the sea change, not only for […]
4 months ago
A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and...

The Latest: Doubt surrounds Iran-US talks as ceasefire is set to expire

The prospect of a second round of talks was uncertain Tuesday after Iran’s chief negotiator said Iran would not negotiate in the face of threats while U.S. President Donald Trump offered mixed messages about the path ahead for the U.S. war against Iran, declaring that he was in no rush to end the conflict. Mohammed […]
4 months ago
FILE - Protesters who have lost love ones to the opioid crisis protest outside a courthouse in Bost...

Purdue Pharma to be sentenced in criminal opioids case, allowing settlement money to flow

A judge is expected to sentence OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to forfeit $225 million to the Justice Department on Tuesday, clearing the way for the company to finalize a settlement of thousands of lawsuits it faces over its role in the opioid crisis. The penalty was agreed to in a 2020 pact to resolve federal […]
4 months ago
The printed edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sits in a newspaper rack, Thursday, April 2, 202...

After facing the death of its dominant newspaper, Pittsburgh’s media has a surprising turnaround

PITTSBURGH (AP) — In the space of a couple of weeks this spring, Pittsburgh media has lived through a near-death experience and a resurrection. Owners of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week announced the newspaper’s sale to a nonprofit foundation that said it was committed to keeping it open. A news outlet that predates the U.S. […]
4 months ago
Harvey Weinstein appears in Manhattan criminal court on Friday, April 17, 2026, in New York. (AP Ph...

Jurors set to hear opening statements in Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial in New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Opening statements are set for Tuesday in Harvey Weinstein ’s New York rape retrial, offering a new jury its first look at a bellwether #MeToo case that remains unresolved nearly eight years after the former movie tycoon’s arrest. Since Weinstein became a major target of the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct […]
4 months ago
A man lights a candle during a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting earlier in the day, ...

Deadly domestic violence cases stir calls for more prevention resources for Black communities

Two headline-grabbing, deadly domestic violence cases, one in Louisiana and the other in Virginia targeting Black mothers, have sparked a national conversation about domestic violence prevention resources and mental health care available to Black communities. Many advocates in the aftermath of the deadly shootings have said the tragedies pointedly highlight troubling underlying trends where Black […]
4 months ago
A person votes in the Virginia redistricting referendum at Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy, Tuesda...

Virginia voters deciding on redistricting plan that could boost Democrats’ seats in Congress

Virginia voters on Tuesday are deciding whether to ratify an unusual mid-decade redrawing of U.S. House districts that could boost Democrats’ chances of flipping control of the closely divided chamber, as the state becomes the latest front in a national redistricting battle. A proposed constitutional amendment backed by Democratic officials would bypass the state’s bipartisan […]
4 months ago
FILE - The Uber logo appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Aug....

Federal jury finds Uber liable for actions of driver who grabbed passenger’s inner thigh

Rideshare giant Uber is liable for the behavior of a driver who grabbed the inner thigh of a passenger as she was leaving the front seat of his car and asked if he could “keep her” with him, a jury in North Carolina found Monday. The federal jury in Charlotte awarded the plaintiff $5,000 in […]
4 months ago

Oil prices slip and Asian shares mostly gain as US-Iran talks still in doubt

Oil prices slipped and Asian shares were mostly higher Tuesday with the future of U.S.-Iran talks aimed at ending the war in doubt. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil dipped 1% to $94.44. U.S. benchmark crude oil lost 1.2% to $86.19 per barrel. U.S. President Donald Trump said Vice President JD Vance […]
4 months ago
A school bus passes the house where 8 children were killed during a mass shooting the day before in...

A preschool classroom is shaken by loss after a mass killing in Louisiana

Teacher Angela Hall always starts the day gathering her preschool students in a circle in their Shreveport, Louisiana, classroom. The kids giggle. They share. And they look for who’s missing. “Braylon, he’s not here,” she recalled one of her students saying Monday. Braylon Snow, who just turned 5, was one of seven siblings who were […]
4 months ago
FILE - Two investigators stand next to a mangled SUV that struck Los Angeles County sheriff's recru...

Driver pleads guilty to causing wrong-way crash that led to death of LA County sheriff’s recruit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 25-year-old man has pleaded guilty to causing a wrong-way crash that led to the death of a Los Angeles sheriff’s recruit and injured several other recruits who were out on a run. Nicholas Gutierrez of Diamond Bar, California, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence […]
4 months ago
FILE - Kevin Warsh speaks to the media about his report on transparency at the Bank of England, in ...

Trump’s Federal Reserve nominee to face tough hearing before Senate panel

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kevin Warsh is taking another step toward his decade-long goal of winning the top job at the Federal Reserve by appearing at a hearing before the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday. But the role that he may eventually assume could turn out vastly different than what he expected. Inflation is worsening as […]
4 months ago
FILE - A Yelp logo is shown on a tablet at the company's office, in San Francisco, Feb. 14, 2023. (...

Yelp introduces an AI chatbot to help users sift local recommendations

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Online review aggregator Yelp wants to harness artificial intelligence to make it easier for users to find information curated by other people. Although Yelp’s users have always been able to dive into its reservoir of 330 million local business reviews, they sometimes find themselves drowning in a sea of commentary from […]
4 months ago
FILE - Right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones speaks to the media after arriving at the federal ...

The Onion launches new bid to take over Alex Jones’ Infowars and turn it into a parody platform

The satirical news outlet The Onion is back with a new plan to take over the Infowars platforms of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones as his company faces liquidation over more than $1 billion in defamation judgments owed to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Under a proposal submitted Monday to a […]
4 months ago