National News

FILE - A vial of testosterone cypionate in Columbus, Ohio, on Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kast...

Trump officials want to make testosterone drugs easier to prescribe. Is that a good idea?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Officials under President Donald Trump want to make it easier for men to get a prescription for testosterone, the latest shift in a decades-long debate over the benefits and risks of replacing the hormone that affects sex drive, mood and other health factors. The move, backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy […]
24 days ago
A woman wearing a mask crosses the street in Toronto as wildfire smoke fills the city, on Wednesday...

How to protect yourself from the bad air caused by wildfires

When wildfires burn, smoke can travel long distances and degrade air quality far away, posing risks to those breathing it. Fires burning in one state can make the air worse several states away, and wildfires in Canada can send smoke into U.S. cities. Here’s what to know about taking precautions against poor air quality due […]
24 days ago
FILE - President Donald Trump arrives at the arena for the UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the...

2 of 8 men charged in thwarted attack on UFC cage-fighting show at White House plead not guilty

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Two of the eight men indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC cage-fighting show at the White House last month pleaded not guilty Thursday. Tycen Proper, 19, of Danville, Ohio, and Chandler Scaggs, 21, of Chapmanville, West […]
24 days ago
President Donald Trump departs on Marine One after speaking at the United States Army War College i...

The Latest: Trump is expected to make election conspiracies a focus of his national address

President Donald Trump is set to address the nation Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on topics he said will include elections and voting machines, suggesting he could revisit long-debunked conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. The speech comes as he’s escalated his calls for Republicans to pass tighter federal voting rules […]
24 days ago
A text message exchange between Jean Booth and her romance scammer are seen on her phone, Oct. 3, 2...

She knew he wasn’t real. She was in love with him anyway. Takeaways about romance scams

One rainy afternoon in August, Jean Booth scurried up the stairs of a nondescript Thai restaurant, shook out her blue, shoulder-length hair and took out her phone. She bit her lip; no messages. Her boyfriend, Donnie, was due to arrive at the airport in a matter of hours, but Jean hadn’t heard from him all […]
24 days ago
A portrait of Jean Booth and a screenshot of a text message exchange with a man she was communicati...

She knew he wasn’t real. She was in love with him anyway. One woman’s story of a romance scam

One rainy afternoon in August, Jean Booth scurried up the stairs of a nondescript Thai restaurant tucked into a strip mall off the highway, shook out her blue, shoulder-length hair and took out her phone. She bit her lip; no messages. Her boyfriend, Donnie, was due to arrive at the airport in a matter of […]
24 days ago

Texas flooding surges from huge rainstorms as rescuers pull people from rising waters

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Dangerous flooding in Texas has intensified after days of pounding rain, sending emergency crews scrambling to rescue people from high water before sunrise Thursday and setting off urgent warnings from forecasters: “Move to higher ground now!” The National Weather Service in San Antonio said a “large and deadly flood wave” was […]
24 days ago
FILE - The Chat GPT app icon is seen on a smartphone screen, Aug. 4, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Ki...

AI chatbots are at risk of spreading government restrictions on online speech, a new study says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ask Claude to make a pamphlet critical of President Donald Trump or Britain’s King Charles III, and Anthropic’s chatbot would oblige. Prompted to do the same for Thailand’s king, Saudi Arabia’s crown prince or China’s leader, and the artificial intelligence model declined. It is a key finding from a Meta Oversight Board […]
24 days ago
President Donald Trump speaks at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., during the Pe...

After six years, Trump brings his election obsession to primetime at the White House

In the weeks after Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020, the people that Trump appointed to run the Department of Justice, cybersecurity agencies and intelligence departments all said the same thing — the election was fair, legitimate and free of major fraud or foreign interference. In his second term, Trump has tried to […]
25 days ago
President Donald Trump departs on Marine One after speaking at the United States Army War College i...

Trump expected to make election conspiracies a focus of Thursday’s national address

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Thursday night on topics he said will include elections and voting machines, suggesting he is likely to revisit some of the unproven claims he has previously made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020. Trump’s fixation on his loss to Democrat […]
25 days ago
First responders walk through debris on Thursday, June 11, 2026 after a tornado passed through Merr...

Trump is taking longer to approve disaster aid and denying Democratic states more frequently

When major disasters strike, Americans are routinely waiting weeks — or even months — to receive presidential approval for aid. And if they live in a state that didn’t support President Donald Trump, chances are greater that aid will denied. Since taking office last year, Trump has approved about 65 requests for major disaster declarations […]
25 days ago
Part of a proposal to improve security at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, is photograp...

Federal panel reviews park fencing plan and visitor screening center to improve White House security

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is proposing to improve security around the White House by putting up a fence around nearby Lafayette Park to help limit public access when law enforcement authorities determine doing so is necessary. The proposal is scheduled for consideration on Thursday by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, according to […]
25 days ago
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks during a news conference Wednesda...

DHS finds itself back in the headlines after 3 fatal ICE encounters, in a test for Secretary Mullin

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Markwayne Mullin took over as Homeland Security secretary from fired Kristi Noem, he pledged to get the department responsible for carrying out the Trump administration’s mass deportations policy out of the headlines. But just months into Mullin’s time in office, the department is squarely in the center of controversy again after […]
25 days ago
FILE - Bethany Gill winds a clock in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court chamber, Dec. 13, 2024, in Harr...

America already tried permanent daylight saving time. It lasted less than a year. Could it work now?

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s an idea whose time, as it were, may have come — again. The twice-yearly changing of the clocks in the United States could be a thing of the past if legislation currently in Congress that calls for permanent daylight time makes it through. But even as annoying as some find […]
25 days ago
President Donald Trump speaks at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pa., during the Pe...

US imposing a 25% tariff on some Brazilian imports starting July 22, citing unfair trade practices

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is imposing 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil after finding a range of what it deemed unfair trade practices by the world’s 10th-biggest economy. The tariffs, which were first proposed last month, will take effect July 22, according to senior Trump administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity […]
25 days ago
FILE - Maricopa County Recorder candidate Arizona state Rep. Justin Heap, R-Phoenix, speaks during ...

Top officials in Arizona’s Maricopa County agree on how to oversee elections, ending a legal battle

PHOENIX (AP) — Election officials in Arizona’s most populous county reached an agreement this week on how to jointly oversee the vote, ending a prolonged legal battle. Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap sued the predominantly GOP board of supervisors in June 2025, alleging it illegally took control of certain aspects of election administration. The board […]
25 days ago
Staff lay a carpet on the tarmac before President Donald Trump exits Air Force One upon arriving fo...

New York Times files motion to quash subpoenas served on journalists over Air Force One coverage

WASHINGTON (AP) — The New York Times on Wednesday filed a motion to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on journalists who reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, teeing up a significant court fight over press freedom and the government’s ability to force reporters to identify sources. “As we […]
25 days ago
Emergency personnel respond to a hazardous material call on Phillips Avenue in Toledo, Ohio, on Wed...

Carbon monoxide present in Ford Explorer where 3 died, 2 others sickened in Ohio, official says

The presence of carbon monoxide was confirmed in a parked vehicle in Toledo, Ohio, where five people were found unresponsive and three of them died Wednesday in what an official described as an accident. The Ford Explorer had pulled over with a flat tire into a parking lot, and the victims were discovered shortly after […]
25 days ago
This undated photo provided by the family in July 2026 shows Nolan Xavier Wells with his mother, Ch...

Family of Black teen found dead after boat trip agree to inspect his cellphone with DA

Attorneys for the family of a Black teenager who went missing during a July Fourth boat trip to an island off the Mississippi coast said they will work with a local prosecutor’s office to inspect the contents of his cellphone as the investigation into his death continues. The family of Nolan Wells had previously alleged […]
25 days ago
The U.S. Capitol is seen from the Washington Monument, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in Washington. (AP P...

More than half of House Democrats vote to cut Israel aid in growing split

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than half the House Democrats voted Wednesday to strip $3.3 billion in U.S. aid from Israel, the most substantial signal yet that once rock-solid bipartisan support for the country is disintegrating in the aftermath of its war in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians. The vote tally, 104-314, was not […]
25 days ago
FILE - Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for sentencing, April 25, 2025, in C...

George Santos’ next gig? Reality TV show contestant

NEW YORK (AP) — George Santos has worn many hats: Swindler, congressman, prison inmate, podcast host. The obvious next gig? Reality TV show contestant. In September, the Santos will appear on the fifth season of Fox’s “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” a grueling contest where participants will be subjected to chemical gassing and other military […]
25 days ago
Vice President JD Vance speaks about efforts to combat fraud during an event at the Wisconsin Air N...

Vance says Trump administration ‘screwed up’ communications around Epstein files

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance says the Trump administration “absolutely” mishandled the communications surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files. During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vance pointed largely to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged “client list” of Epstein’s was “sitting on my desk right […]
25 days ago
Former cargo ship captain John Merrone is wheeled out of federal court in the Brooklyn borough of N...

Ex-captain pleads guilty to drugging and raping a US Merchant Marine Academy cadet on a cargo ship

NEW YORK (AP) — A former cargo ship captain pleaded guilty on Wednesday to drugging and raping a 21-year-old U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet who was working on the vessel as part of the academy’s Sea Year training program. John Merrone, 53, pleaded guilty just as his trial was about to start in Brooklyn federal […]
25 days ago
The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, July...

Drained Reflecting Pool reveals Trump’s ‘American flag blue’ liner is now closer to gray

WASHINGTON (AP) — The newly drained Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s bottom surface has noticeably faded since it was lined with a protective coating in a color President Donald Trump calls “American flag blue” this spring. An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewed the fenced-off Reflecting Pool on Wednesday from the top of the Washington Monument. […]
25 days ago