National News

Asa Ellerup, wife, of Rex Heuermann waits to give her statement outside the courthouse as Rex Heuer...

Rex Heuermann told ex-wife he murdered Gilgo Beach victims at family’s home, documentary reveals

NEW YORK (AP) — The man who recently pleaded guilty to New York’s Gilgo Beach serial murders told his ex-wife while in jail that he killed most of his female victims in the basement of the family’s dilapidated home, the latest episode of an NBC documentary series shows. His ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, said in a […]
7 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks at a roundtable event about no tax on tips, Thursday, April 16, 2026,...

Trump picks a University of Minnesota professor to lead his economic council

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated University of Minnesota economist Christopher Phelan to be the next chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, a key position for conducting analyses of the economy and the administration’s policies. If confirmed by the Senate, Phelan would succeed Stephen Miran, a Harvard University-trained economist […]
7 months ago
President Donald Trump listens in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in ...

Trump’s approval on economy falls in AP-NORC poll, showing new warning signs for president

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy has slumped over the past month as the Iran war drives prices higher, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with even Republicans showing less faith in his leadership. The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research show a president who is […]
7 months ago
A view of the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/J....

A former Missouri lawmaker wins back thousands of dollars seized after sexual misconduct allegations

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A former Missouri lawmaker who was censured and fined over sexual misconduct allegations has won a court case to recoup thousands of dollars of seized salary, marking a reversal of fortune for one of the many officials involved in a recent nationwide reckoning over sexual misconduct among public figures. Former […]
7 months ago
FILE - Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer reacts during the first half of the team's second-round ...

Stanford’s sports teams capture an NCAA championship for a 50th straight year

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Dick Gould has been around Stanford sports long enough as a tennis player and coach — a remarkable run of seven decades — that he clearly remembers some down years for the university’s sports programs. He heard the excuses by coaches and student-athletes back in the day of “we just can’t […]
7 months ago
Theresa Garcia, left, aunt of Stephen Martinez and Martinez's attorney Jeanne Segil speak to member...

Pneumonia evidence upends a decades old conviction in baby’s death to free Stephen Martinez

DENVER (AP) — A judge on Tuesday threw out the first-degree murder conviction of a man found guilty in the death of his then-girlfriend’s 4-month-old daughter nearly 30 years ago because of new evidence in the case. Stephen Martinez was convicted in 2000 and sentenced to life in prison after prosecutors argued he had beaten […]
7 months ago
FILE - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during a news conference at Palm Beach State ...

Florida’s attorney general launches criminal probe into ChatGPT over FSU shooting

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s attorney general on Tuesday opened an investigation into OpenAI’s ChatGPT over whether there was criminal behavior involving interactions between the artificial intelligence app and a gunman who killed two people and wounded six others last year at Florida State University. Attorney General James Uthmeier said that prosecutors had done an […]
7 months ago

Editorial Roundup: United States

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ April 18 The Washington Post says corporate welfare for hospitals is raising health care costs Hospitals are not as unpopular as other health care sectors, such as drug manufacturers and insurance companies. But like other businesses, they are prone to rent-seeking and fiercely defensive […]
7 months ago
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)Credit: A...

Supreme Court seems wary of limiting federal regulators’ power in a data privacy case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed wary of limiting the power of federal regulators on Tuesday in a case over multimillion-dollar penalties levied against telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T. The cellular companies appealed to the justices after the Federal Communications Commission found they sold customers’ location data without proper safeguards. The FCC slapped the […]
7 months ago
FILE - Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche holds a news conference at the Justice Department in Wa...

What to know about the Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center is in the spotlight after the civil rights group announced Tuesday that it is the subject of a U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation because of its past use of paid informants. The center previously used the informants to infiltrate extremist groups, and now faces possible charges over that practice, its […]
7 months ago
FILE - Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a...

Dr. Oz announces a 50-state audit of Medicaid program oversight

NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration will require all 50 states to explain their plans to revalidate some of their Medicaid providers in a national escalation of anti-fraud efforts that have so far largely focused on specific states, Dr. Mehmet Oz said Tuesday. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator said during a Politico […]
7 months ago
The Capitol is framed amid blooming cherry trees in Washington, Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/J...

Republicans are launching a new effort to fund the Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are moving this week to try and reopen the Department of Homeland Security and end the longest partial government shutdown in history. The first votes could come as soon as Tuesday as GOP leaders attempt a new workaround to unlock the funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. […]
7 months ago
FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during her daily morning press conference at the ...

2 CIA officers killed in Mexico vehicle crash after counterdrug operation, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Americans killed in a vehicle crash as they returned from destroying a clandestine drug lab in a rugged region of Mexico over the weekend were working for the CIA, according to a U.S. official and two other people familiar with matter. Two Mexican investigators also were killed in the crash, which […]
7 months ago
FILE - Police stand guard inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal following an explosion near Times ...

Federal appeals court upholds life term for Times Square suicide bomber but overturns top count

NEW YORK (AP) — A Bangladeshi immigrant is rightly serving a life prison sentence for a fizzled 2017 subway bombing attack beneath New York City’s Times Square, a federal appeals panel said Tuesday while reversing his conviction for providing material support to the Islamic State extremist group. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said […]
7 months ago
blue origin rocket wrong orbit jeff bezos...
Associated Press

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is grounded after launching satellite into the wrong orbit

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, blamed a bad engine Monday for a failed weekend launch that left a satellite in the wrong orbit, dooming it.
7 months ago
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 […]
7 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 […]
7 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, […]
7 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 […]
7 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 […]
7 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 […]
7 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 […]
7 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 […]
7 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 […]
7 months ago