National News

FILE - President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the...

Trump says that he’s is weighing reducing American troop presence in Germany after Iran fued

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday leveled a new threat against NATO ally Germany, suggesting he could soon reduce the U.S. military presence there as he continues to feud with Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S-Israel war against Iran. Trump made the threat after Merz earlier this week said that the U.S. was […]
6 months ago
FILE - The Department of Justice seal is seen in Washington, Nov. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Mag...

Romanian man sentenced to 4 years in prison for swatting spree targeting dozens of US officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Romanian man was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in prison for organizing a wave of swatting calls and bomb threats against dozens of U.S. government targets, including members of Congress, cabinet-level officials, federal judges and the heads of federal law-enforcement agencies, according to prosecutors. Thomasz Szabo, 27, was a prolific […]
6 months ago
FILE - Sheriff Susan Hutson speaks at a City Council meeting following the escape of 10 inmates fro...

New Orleans sheriff indicted after investigation into brazen jailbreak and escape of 10 inmates

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A grand jury on Wednesday indicted a Louisiana sheriff whose office came under investigation after 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail in an audacious escape that happened on her watch. Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson is not accused of helping the inmates pull off the brazen jailbreak through […]
6 months ago
FILE - The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier leaves Naval Station Norfolk, June 23, 2025, in Norf...

USS Ford aircraft carrier will be heading home after record-breaking deployment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, will be heading home following a record-setting deployment of more than 300 days that included participating in the war against Iran and capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. The Ford will be leaving the Middle East in […]
6 months ago
A state Senators laptop displays a proposed Congressional Redistricting Plan during debate on SB 8-...

Supreme Court ruling on race-based redistricting prompts quick action in some states

Before the words were even written on a Supreme Court decision striking down a majority Black congressional district in Louisiana, some states already were taking steps to respond to it. Wednesday’s ruling significantly limits the use of race when drawing voting districts, weakening a Civil Rights-era law that has boosted minority representation in Congress. The […]
6 months ago
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is seen following a media tour intended to show ...

Cultural groups urge federal judge to block Kennedy Center renovations

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of cultural and historic preservation organizations pressed a federal judge Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from making major renovations to the Kennedy Center, the art and cultural venue that has seen rapid transformation since the president returned to office last year. The groups want U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper […]
6 months ago
Federal and state officials load evidence into a vehicle as they execute a search warrant at The Or...

New federal raids in Minnesota highlight problem of fraud in children’s programs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has been beset by a series of complex, overlapping fraud investigations that have stretched over several years and involve potentially billions of dollars in wasted federal funding. President Donald Trump pointed to the scandals as justification for launching a massive immigration crackdown that he initially said would focus on […]
6 months ago
In this courtroom sketch, David Anthony Burke, whose stage name is D4vd, is seen in court Thursday,...

Prosecutors say singer D4vd stabbed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez to death to silence her

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Prosecutors said Wednesday that singer D4vd killed 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez by stabbing her multiple times. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared what they said the evidence would show in a document filed Wednesday outlining their plan for a forthcoming preliminary evidentiary hearing in the case. It said D4vd, […]
6 months ago
Activists attempt to gain entry into Ridglan Farms beagle breeding and research facility on Saturda...

Animal rescue group says it bought 1,500 beagles from Wisconsin facility targeted by protesters

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Animal refuge groups said Wednesday that they have agreed to buy nearly 1,500 beagles at a Wisconsin dog breeding and research business that was the site of a violent clash earlier this month between activists trying to break in and police who repelled them with tear gas and pepper spray. Big […]
6 months ago
FILE - Visitors take photos at a sign outside Meta headquarters March 26, 2026, in Menlo Park, Cali...

Meta beats revenue expectations, boosts capital spending forecast for 2026

Instagram and Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. posted results Wednesday for the first quarter that exceeded expectations, showing growth in earnings, but the social media giant also increased its forecasted capital expenditures for the year. The company earned $26.77 billion, or $10.44 per share, in the January-March period, up about 61% from $16.64 billion, or […]
6 months ago
A suspected forgery of an Andrew Wyeth painting is seen at RoGallery in New York, Tuesday, April 28...

How a father and daughter duped NYC’s art world with fake Warhols and Banksys

NEW YORK (AP) — A little over a year ago, the New York City art dealer Robert Rogal received a visit to his private showroom from a young woman, who seemed eager to offload a family heirloom. Introducing herself as Karolina Bankowska, she carried a framed painting signed by Andrew Wyeth, resembling the watercolor landscapes […]
6 months ago
Rashaad Muhammad, right, flanked by his attorney Ben Crump, left, and other members of his legal te...

Man says severe medical neglect at problem-plagued jail in Atlanta resulted in amputations

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man said Wednesday that he was traumatized by severe medical neglect at a problem-plagued jail in Atlanta that led to the amputation of his fingers and lower legs. Rashaad Muhammad was arrested in August and taken to the Fulton County Jail, where medical staff failed to provide antibiotics and other […]
6 months ago
FILE - A copy of the satirical outlet The Onion is seen, Nov. 14, 2024, in Little Rock, Ark. (AP Ph...

What to know about The Onion’s new effort to take over Alex Jones’ Infowars

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Onion is taking another stab at getting control of Alex Jones’ Infowars platforms and turning them into comedy sites spoofing the conspiracy theorist. A Texas judge is set to consider Thursday whether to approve the satirical news outlet’s proposed takeover, though Jones has filed last-minute appeals in state and federal […]
6 months ago
FILE - The Department of Justice seal is seen in Washington, Nov. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Mag...

Justice Department moves to roll back gun regulations as Senate confirms new ATF chief

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Department officials moved Wednesday to roll back and modify a slate of gun regulations in a dramatic shift in firearm policy pushed by Second Amendment supporters in President Donald Trump’s base. Gun control activists slammed the moves as dangerous and irresponsible just days after authorities say a man armed with guns […]
6 months ago
This undated photo provided by Dickerson Park Zoo on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, shows an emu named ...

Hail storm kills emu at Missouri zoo, cancels flights and damages hundreds of vehicles

Glass shards flew everywhere as Eric Gockel waited out one of the worst hail storms to hit Missouri. One of the softball-size hunks of ice that hit the Springfield area on Tuesday measured 4.75 inches (12 centimeters). The hail killed an emu at the zoo, injured some drivers, knocked out power to thousands and damaged […]
6 months ago

Amazon reports increased in profits and sales for 1Q

New York (AP) — Amazon on Wednesday reported a strong increase in profits and revenue during its fiscal first quarter, helped by surging growth in its prominent cloud computing unit. The e-commerce and technology company said that sales in its cloud computing unit were up by 28%, the fastest increase in 15 quarters. The number […]
6 months ago
FILE - The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, F...

Supreme Court ruling will reshape American politics. The only question is when

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday handed Republicans their biggest victory yet in the perpetual battle to control the House of Representatives and statehouses across the country — but it may have come too late to have much of an effect on this year’s midterm elections. The 6-3 ruling effectively gutted the Voting […]
6 months ago
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson takes questions at a news conference following a closed-door GOP ...

House Republicans push ahead on bill to extend divisive US spy powers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled House is moving forward with a three-year reauthorization of a divisive U.S. surveillance program ahead of its expiration on Friday, adding new oversight measures but stopping short of the warrant requirement that critics have demanded. The bill still faces an uncertain path to passage, with a sign-off needed from the […]
6 months ago
President Donald Trump toasts during a State Dinner with Britain's King Charles III, Queen Camilla ...

Who was invited to dinner with King Charles: Justices, business leaders and Palm Beach friends

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was the hottest ticket in town — a white-tie dinner with King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the White House, where nearly 130 guests dined on Dover sole meunière and sampled a beehive-shaped chocolate dessert with honey from the White House beehive. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s […]
6 months ago

Mexican officials charged with importing massive quantities of drugs into US

NEW YORK (AP) — The governor of Sinaloa and nine other current and former Mexican officials were charged with drug trafficking and weapons offenses in a U.S. indictment unsealed Wednesday in New York. The charges were announced in a news release by federal officials. None of the defendants were in custody. Those charged in court […]
6 months ago
Sen. Donald Gaetz, R-Fla., speaks on the senate floor on SB 8-D, a redistricting bill, during a spe...

Florida legislature approves new congressional map intended to boost Republicans in midterms

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map intended to maximize Republicans’ advantage in the state as part of the national redistricting battle that President Donald Trump launched ahead of this year’s midterms. The vote came just two days after Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposal and the same day that […]
6 months ago
Canisters of infant formula are priced as high as $31.75 per 12.4-ounces at a market serving the Ce...

US infant formula supply is ‘safe,’ FDA says after looking for potential contaminants

A potential contaminants, federal health officials said Wednesday. The review was conducted as part of the Food and Drug Administration’s Operation Stork Speed project — billed as the “largest and most rigorous” to date. It found that the infant formula supply is “safe,” agency officials and outside experts said. “There’s no reason not to use […]
6 months ago
FILE - Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the site, March 23, 2026...

Transponders to be installed on New York area airport ground vehicles following deadly collision

Transponders that might have helped pinpoint the location of a fire truck that collided with a landing Air Canada jet in New York will soon be installed on ground vehicles at the region’s three major airports. The trackers will be put on fire trucks and other rescue vehicles, the Port Authority of New York and […]
6 months ago
This courtroom sketch depicts government witness Bruce Hoffman testifying as defendant Mohammad Sha...

Afghan man convicted of conspiracy in deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport during US withdrawal

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An alleged Islamic State group militant was convicted on Wednesday of a conspiracy charge in a deadly suicide bombing at a Kabul airport during the U.S. military’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Mohammad Sharifullah faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years after his one-count conviction in an international terrorism […]
6 months ago