Walker Montgomery was just 16 when someone pretending to be a teenage girl messaged him through Instagram and seduced him into cybersex. Within hours he was dead. Caught up in a sextortion scheme, the Mississippi teen killed himself. —- EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs […]
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed legislation Wednesday limiting face coverings worn by law enforcement, including federal ICE agents, making New Jersey the second state this year to enact such a law. Washington state’s Democratic governor, Bob Ferguson, signed a similar law earlier this month while Democratic-led legislatures in other states have […]
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday opened applications for a major resilience grant program that the agency canceled last year, less than three weeks after a federal judge ordered FEMA to make the funding available. FEMA will make $1 billion available for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which helps states, local governments, […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has settled for roughly $1.2 million a lawsuit with Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser to President Donald Trump who pleaded guilty during the Republican’s first term to lying about phone conversations with a top Russian diplomat but was later pardoned. Court papers filed Wednesday do not reveal […]
Tracy Kidder, an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer who turned everything from computer engineering to life in a nursing home into unexpected bestsellers, has died. He was 80. Kidder’s longtime publisher Random House confirmed his death in a statement Wednesday: “Tracy’s gifts for storytelling and tireless reporting are an enduring reflection of the empathy, integrity, and […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Political warning signs that have privately worried some Republicans for months are starting to flash red ahead of November’s midterm elections, as the war in Iran keeps gas prices high, travelers face unprecedented airport security wait times and Americans remain concerned about steep costs of living. The latest sign of trouble came […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump often commands the attention of any room she enters but all eyes — and cameras — were trained on her humanoid companion on Wednesday. The humanoid accompanied the first lady as she arrived at the White House East Room for the final day of a summit she had […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two high-profile progressive lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday that would pause new data centers in the United States until national safeguards are in place to protect workers and consumers and ensure the technologies don’t harm the environment. The legislation by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders […]
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Two teenage boys who used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos of their classmates were put on probation Wednesday and placed in the custody of their parents. The boys, who were 14 at the time, admitted earlier this month that they made 59 child sex abuse images. Prosecutors said they […]
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A jury found both Meta and YouTube liable in a first-of-its-kind lawsuit that aimed to hold social media platforms responsible for harm to children using their services. The decision came after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days and more than a month since jurors heard opening statements in […]
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs.” The resolution also urges “the prompt and unhindered restitution” of cultural items — including artworks, monuments, museum pieces, documents […]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Trump administration gave San Jose State University 10 days to resolve what the U.S. Education Department has deemed are Title IX violations involving transgender athletes, saying the school will face legal action and the possible loss of federal funding if it fails to comply. The department in January found that […]
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida Democrats, beaten down by years of Republican domination in what was once the consummate battleground state, claimed new optimism Wednesday after a special election victory in President Donald Trump’s home district. Emily Gregory will represent the district that includes Mar-a-Lago, the president’s resort in Palm Beach, as a state representative. […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Air travelers are experiencing the highest wait times ever under the Transportation Security Administration, the agency’s acting head told Congress on Wednesday, as the latest offer to end a funding impasse and put restraints on President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda met fierce resistance. The TSA’s Ha Nguyen McNeill described the mounting […]
As communities across Hawaii dig out from destruction caused by the worst flooding to hit the state in over 20 years, nonprofits, mutual aid networks and foundations are collecting donations to support households, farmers and animals affected across the state. Two Kona low winter storm systems roughly a week apart unleashed deluges over soil too […]
Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ March 24 The Washington Post says cutting gas taxes is good politics, but bad policy With the Iran war driving up the average price of gas more than a dollar per gallon, politicians are calling to suspend the gas tax until the crisis ends. […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Using the oldest dog genes studied so far, scientists are finding more evidence that our furry friends have been our companions for thousands of years. Scientists think dogs descended from an ancient population of gray wolves somewhere in Europe or Asia. Tens of thousands of years ago, those wolves got used […]
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A jury convicted a Wisconsin man of election fraud and identity theft for requesting the ballots of Republican state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Racine Mayor Cory Mason without their consent. Jurors in Racine County on Tuesday found Harry Wait guilty of two misdemeanor election fraud charges and one felony […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with internet service provider Cox Communications in its copyright fight with record labels over illegal music downloads by Cox customers. The justices ruled unanimously that Cox bears no liability for the copyright violations of its customers, reversing a jury verdict and lower-court rulings. The court acted […]
As travel disruptions deepen and senators race to clinch a proposal to end the Homeland Security shutdown, House lawmakers are holding a hearing at 10 a.m. ET to discuss the impacts of the funding lapse. Senators are chasing a deal that would fund much of the department, including Transportation Security Administration workers going without pay, […]
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A scientist who pioneered the modern food processing safety standards used around the world was awarded this year’s World Food Prize, the organization announced Wednesday, crediting his work for averting millions of cases of foodborne illness and reducing food waste. Huub Lelieveld of the Netherlands earned the award after six […]
The NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the U.S., has hired a former Biden Justice Department official to head its legal advocacy work. Kristen Clarke, who previously led the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, will be the NAACP’s next general counsel, the organization announced on Wednesday. According to an announcement shared first with The Associated […]
A tearful Savannah Guthrie, in her first interview since her 84-year-old mother was apparently abducted from her Arizona home, said that “someone needs to do the right thing” and come forward with information to help the investigation. “We are in agony,” she told NBC News colleague Hoda Kotb in a portion of the interview aired […]
