National News

Pope Leo XIV blesses faithful as he starts his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, at th...

A president and a pope: The world’s most influential Americans are at odds over Iran

Donald Trump is accustomed to criticism from coast to coast — Democrats, disaffected Republicans, late-night comedians, massive protests. Yet in his second presidency, Trump’s most influential American critic doesn’t live in the country but at the Vatican. It’s an unprecedented situation, with the first American pope directly assailing the American president over the war in […]
7 months ago
Vice President JD Vance waves as he boards Air Force Two to depart for Budapest, at Joint Base Andr...

Vance sets off to Pakistan to lead talks with Iran as war’s ceasefire remains shaky

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is tasking the member of his inner circle who has seemed to be the most reluctant defender of the conflict with Iran to now find a resolution to the war that began six weeks ago and stave off the U.S. president’s astonishing threat to wipe out its “whole civilization.” […]
7 months ago
FILE - Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil holds a news conference outside Federal Court, Oct. 21, ...

Immigration board denies Mahmoud Khalil’s appeal, bringing activist one step closer to deportation

NEW YORK (AP) — An immigration appeals board has denied Mahmoud Khalil’s latest bid to dismiss his deportation case, a largely expected ruling that brings the former Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist one step closer to re-arrest and possible expulsion. The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the final order of removal on Thursday, […]
7 months ago
Chick-fil-A employees lower a U.S. flag outside their restaurant on Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (Alan...

For Chinese visa-seekers in the US, the path to good fortune lies in … Chick-fil-A?

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — On a recent weekend afternoon, at a Chinese comedy show in northern Virginia, the host asked the audience, “What food do you like?” The loudest answer echoed through the hall: “Chick-fil-A!” “You still haven’t gotten your H-1B lottery, ha?” quipped the host, citing the most popular work visa among Chinese students. […]
7 months ago
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is displayed on a large screen live broadcasting his speech at the opening...

Beijing calculates its next steps in Iran ceasefire ahead of Trump’s trip to China

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a fragile ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran holding for now, China is calculating its role in helping find a durable endgame to the war in the Middle East. After prodding China, which is more reliant on Persian Gulf oil than the U.S., to get involved in reopening the choked-off […]
7 months ago
FILE - Hip hop DJ pioneer Afrika Bambaataa speaks at a news conference in New York on Feb. 28, 2006...

Hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa dies at age 68

Afrika Bambaataa, a man widely considered one of the main pioneers of hip-hop, died in Pennsylvania of prostate cancer on Thursday, according to his lawyer. He was 68. Bambaataa’s sudden death was met with an outpouring of condolences from friends, family and fans across the world, who paid tribute to his profound and unmistakable impact […]
7 months ago
A person votes early in the Virginia redistricting referendum at the Fairfax County Government Cent...

A federal judge dismisses another DOJ lawsuit seeking voter data, this time in Massachusetts

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking Massachusetts’ state voter rolls, marking the latest setback in a wide-ranging effort by the Trump administration to collect detailed data on the nation’s voters. The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin marks at least the fifth time a […]
7 months ago
The White House is seen in Washington, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. (AP Photo/Rod Lamk...

IRS touts a 24% increase in tax refunds compared to the previous administration

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office, his administration said Thursday — a change credited to Republicans’ tax legislation signed into law last year. As the tax season kicked off in January, the White House had boasted that average […]
7 months ago

Sheriff’s deputy killed in central California while serving eviction notice

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A man shot and killed a central California sheriff’s deputy Thursday morning while authorities were serving an eviction notice and hours later he remained barricaded inside the home, authorities said. Tulare County deputies were serving an eviction notice at a home in Porterville when a 60-year-old man opened fire on them, […]
7 months ago
FILE - Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor speaks during a service for retired Supreme Court Just...

Trump administration’s volume of emergency docket appeals ‘unprecedented,’ Sotomayor says

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has notched a string of wins on the Supreme Court ’s emergency docket, in part because the conservative justices believe that blocking executive policies is a blow that can’t be easily fixed, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said Thursday. The increase in emergency appeals by the Trump administration is “unprecedented in […]
7 months ago
war powers resolution republicans democrats emily randall middle east...
Frank Sumrall

WA Rep Emily Randall demands action after Republicans block House Democrats’ war powers resolution to end Middle East conflict

House Democrats tried but failed to pass a war powers resolution in an effort to wrestle the U.S. military out of the Middle East.
7 months ago
Red & White Crisp Rice cereal is sold for $7.25 per 18-ounce box at a market serving the Central Am...

Inflation may jump by most in nearly four years as gas prices spike in wake of Iran war

WASHINGTON (AP) — Soaring gas prices are expected to produce a spike in inflation when the government reports consumer prices for March on Friday, likely unnerving the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve and heightening the political challenges of rising costs for the White House. Inflation probably rose to 3.4% in March compared with a […]
7 months ago

NYC man charged with setting deadly fire said he needed to ‘get out his rage’ after losing job

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City man has been charged in the death of four people, including a toddler, after setting fire to a residential building last month in a fit of rage over losing his job, prosecutors said. The choice of building was random, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who […]
7 months ago
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announces the dismantling of a major hospice fraud scheme tha...

California officials charge 21 people in hospice fraud exceeding $250 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California officials on Thursday said they uncovered a multimillion-dollar scheme to use stolen identities from people outside the state to charge for hospice services paid for with a government insurance program. State Attorney General Rob Bonta said officials have charged 21 and have so far arrested 5 people involved as the […]
7 months ago
Comedian Dave Chappelle, center, takes part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new studio for WYSO ...

Dave Chappelle helps keep Ohio radio station rooted in hometown with restored building

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (AP) — Comedian Dave Chappelle stood on the front lawn of a newly restored 19th-century schoolhouse Thursday, joining neighbors and local officials as a small-town radio station secured its future in the community he calls home. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked two historic moments: Chappelle’s restoration of the Union Schoolhouse and WYSO’s relocation […]
7 months ago
The Pentagon is seen from an airplane, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demar...

Federal judge finds Pentagon is violating court order to restore access to reporters

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times earlier this month in deciding that the Pentagon’s new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech […]
7 months ago
FILE - A banner for the prediction market platform Kalshi hangs from a building in Washington, Wedn...

Judge rejects bid to stop Arizona’s prosecution of Kalshi on wagering charges

PHOENIX (AP) — A federal judge has denied a request from prediction market operator Kalshi to bar Arizona prosecutors from moving forward with a criminal case, alleging the company is operating an illegal betting platform in the state. In a decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi also denied Kalshi’s request for a ruling saying […]
7 months ago
FILE - Festivalgoers are seen during the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festi...

Coachella looks like fun and glamour for influencers. Behind the scenes, they fiercely strategize

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sam Mintesnot had checked off everything she possibly could have from a long list of to-dos in preparation for the Coachella music festival. She crafted the best outfits, got her hair and nails done, booked a one-way ticket to Los Angeles and flew out on Tuesday with a spreadsheet full of […]
7 months ago
FILE - The Department of Justice seal is seen in Washington, Nov. 28, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Mag...

Plaintiffs settle with Trump administration, halting cuts to agency that funds US libraries

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plaintiffs challenging the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures against an agency that funds and promotes libraries across the U.S. said Thursday they settled the case with the Justice Department in a deal that would reverse some of the steps taken. The American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal […]
7 months ago
Government supporters gather to mark the 40th day since the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali K...

Prediction markets are back the spotlight, this time because of the war in Iran

Prediction markets let people wager on just about anything — from basketball games to elections. And among more jarring bets recently, the fate of the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran. Shortly ahead of a fragile ceasefire agreement earlier this week, a new group of accounts on prediction market platform Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed […]
7 months ago
Michael Rapino, chief executive officer of Live Nation Entertainment, leaves Manhattan federal cour...

Live Nation antitrust trial nears end as lawyer for 34 states labels the concerts giant a monopolist

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for 34 states suing Live Nation Entertainment tried to convince a jury Thursday during an antitrust trial ’s closing arguments that the company and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, are monopolizing the industry and driving up concert prices. But a lawyer for Live Nation insisted in Manhattan federal court that […]
7 months ago

Judge rejects plea agreement in case of missing Navajo elder Ella Mae Begay

PHOENIX, AZ (AP) — A federal judge in Phoenix has rejected a plea agreement that would have allowed a man who admitted to beating a Navajo elder and leaving her for dead to avoid more prison time. Preston Henry Tolth, 26, now will face trial on charges of carjacking and assault in relation to the […]
7 months ago
FILE - Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers delivers his State of the State address at the Wisconsin State Cap...

Evers signs a law legalizing online sports betting in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law Thursday that legalizes online sports betting, making it the 33rd state to allow the practice. But gamblers in Wisconsin will have to wait months or maybe even longer before they can start to legally place bets. The law Evers signed, which passed […]
7 months ago
FILE - Calvin Duncan, center, stands with supporters on the steps of Orleans Parish Criminal Court ...

Louisiana GOP races to eliminate an elected office won by an exonerated man

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A man imprisoned for nearly 30 years before being exonerated won a landmark election in New Orleans promising to fix a judicial system that failed him. Now, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and the GOP-controlled Legislature are racing to eliminate his job before he can be sworn in. Calvin Duncan won 68% […]
7 months ago