Author: The Associated Press

A Search Is Underway For Missing Submarine That Takes People To See Titanic

(AP) — A rescue operation was underway deep in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Monday in search of a submersible vessel that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia said the vessel was reported overdue around 9:13 p.m. Sunday, about 435 miles (700 kilometres) south of St….

Americans Mark Juneteenth With Parties, Events And Quiet Reflection On The End Of Slavery

DETROIT (AP) — Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War. While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America’s often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black…

Justice Department Accuses Minneapolis Police Of Rights Violations After George Floyd’s Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Justice Department alleged Friday that Minneapolis police have systematically discriminated against Black and Native American people for years and often violated constitutional rights following a sweeping investigation that began after George Floyd was killed. The two-year probe found that Minneapolis officers used excessive force, including “unjustified deadly force,” and violated the rights of people engaged in…

Canadian Wildfire Smoke Gives Minnesota City The Worst Air In The US

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — St. Paul had the worst air quality in the United States on Wednesday as smoke from massive Canadian wildfires drifted across Minnesota a week after similar smoke blanketed the northeastern U.S. The smoke was “near the worst” on record for the Twin Cities, the Star-Tribune reported, citing Nick Witcraft, an air-quality meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency….

Supreme Court Preserves Law That Aims To Keep Native American Children With Tribal Families

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved the system that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children, rejecting a broad attack from some Republican-led states and white families who argued it is based on race. The court left in place the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted to address concerns that Native…

Trump Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump, who is making his first court appearance Tuesday after being indicted on 37 charges related to the mishandling classified documents. The indictment marks the first time in U.S. history that a former president faces criminal charges by the federal government he once oversaw. ___ TRUMP PLEADS NOT GUILTY Former President Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to federal…

US Halts Online Asylum Appointments At Texas Crossing After Extortion Warnings

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration has stopped taking mobile app appointments to admit asylum-seekers at a Texas border crossing that connects to a notoriously dangerous Mexican city after advocates warned U.S. authorities that migrants were being targeted there for extortion. U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave no explanation for its decision to stop scheduling new appointments via the…

Donald Trump Says He’s Been Indicted On Charges Of Mishandling Classified documents

MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump and his aides are bracing for a potential indictment in the classified documents investigation as prosecutors handling the probe were spotted Thursday at a Miami courthouse where a grand jury has been hearing from witnesses. The former president’s lawyers have been told he is a target of the investigation, the clearest indication yet…

Pence Opens Presidential Bid With Denunciation Of Trump Over Jan. 6 Insurrection And Abortion

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence opened his bid for the Republican nomination for president Wednesday with a firm denunciation of former President Donald Trump, accusing his two-time running mate of abandoning conservative principles and being guilty of dereliction of duty on Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, launching his campaign in a suburb of Des Moines, became the first vice president in…

PGA Tour And European Tour Agree To Merge With Saudis And End LIV Golf Feud

(AP) — The PGA Tour ended its expensive fight with Saudi Arabia’s golf venture and now is joining forces with it, making a stunning announcement Tuesday of a merger that creates a commercial operation with the Public Investment Fund and the European tour. As part of the deal, the sides immediately are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf. From the…

Former Vice President Pence Files Paperwork Launching 2024 Presidential Bid In Challenge To Trump

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork on Monday declaring his campaign for president in 2024, setting up a challenge to his former boss, Donald Trump, just two years after their time in the White House ended with an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Pence fleeing for his life. Pence, the nation’s 48th vice president, will formally launch…

Three Bodies Recovered In Iowa Building Collapse; Lawsuit Accuses City And Owners Of Negligence

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The bodies of three men have been removed from the site of a collapsed six-story apartment building, the police chief in Davenport, Iowa, announced Monday. “We don’t have any other information at this time that there are any additional people missing,” Chief Jeff Bladel said. One of the residents injured in the collapse of an…

No Survivors Found After Plane That Flew Over DC And Led To Fighter Jet Scramble Crashes In Virginia

WASHINGTON (AP) — A wayward and unresponsive business plane that flew over the nation’s capital Sunday afternoon caused the military to scramble a fighter jet before the plane crashed in Virginia, officials said. The fighter jet caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region. Hours later, police said rescuers had reached the site of the plane…

People With Felony Convictions Can Now Vote In Minnesota; Secretary Of State Celebrates

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — At a celebration of Minnesota’s new law that restores voting rights to people who have left prison, Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon registered newly eligible voters Thursday, when the law went into effect. “It is the largest single act of enfranchisement in over 50 years” for the state, Simon said at Arlington Hills Community Center in…

Man Pleads Guilty To Assaulting Rep. Angie Craig Of Minnesota In DC Apartment Building

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting Democratic Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota in the elevator of her Washington apartment building in February, according to court records. Kendrid Khalil Hamlin, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting a member of Congress and assaulting law enforcement officers, according to the court docket. Hamlin was also accused of assaulting…

Biden Trips And Falls On Stage At Air Force Graduation; White House Says He’s ‘Fine’

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — President Joe Biden fell on stage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation Thursday and the White House said he was “fine” after tripping over a sandbag. Biden had been greeting the graduates in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the front of the stage with salutes and handshakes, and turned to jog back toward his seat when he…

Minnesota Plans Rewrite Of Rules For Copper-Nickel Mining Near Popular Wilderness

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota regulators have concluded that state rules governing where copper-nickel mines can be built are insufficient to protect the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from noise and light pollution, creating another potential obstacle to the proposed Twin Metals mine in northeastern Minnesota. But the Department of Natural Resources declined as part of that decision Wednesday to…

Changes To Food Aid In Debt Bill Would Cost Money, Far From Savings GOP Envisioned

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase federal spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years — far from the cuts GOP lawmakers had promised. A compromise on the food aid requirements between House Republicans and President Joe Biden as the nation nears a disastrous government default may…

US Job Openings Hit 10.1 Million And Labor Market Still Strong Despite Fed Efforts To Cool Economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, illustrating the resilience of the American labor market and complicating Federal Reserve efforts to fight inflation. Employers posted 10.1 million job openings last month, up from 9.7 million in March and the most since January, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Economists had expected vacancies to slip below 9.5 million. “Demand for workers…

Debt Ceiling Deal: What’s In, What’s Out Of The Bill To Avert US Default

WASHINGTON (AP) — The details of the deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were released Sunday in the form of a 99-page bill that would suspend the nation’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending. The Democratic president and Republican speaker are trying to win over lawmakers to the plan in time…

Biden Marks Memorial Day Nearly 2 Years After Ending America’s Longest War, Lauds Troops’ Sacrifice

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Biden was joined by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, for the 155th National Memorial Day Observance. He had a moment…

Gov. Walz Vetoes Higher Pay For Lyft, Uber Drivers

(Associated Press) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have mandated higher pay and job security for Lyft and Uber drivers in Minnesota, saying the legislation wasn’t ready to become law. “Rideshare drivers deserve fair wages and safe working conditions,” Walz said in a statement announcing his first veto ever in his…

George Floyd Death Anniversary: Reckoning With Police Violence In Limbo

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, and the fervent protests that erupted around the world in response, looked to many observers like the catalyst needed for a nationwide reckoning on racism in policing. For more than nine minutes, a white officer pressed his knee to the neck of Floyd, a Black man, who gasped,…

Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of 94-Year-Old Woman Who Got Nothing When County Took Her Condo

WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday gave a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman a new chance to recoup some money after the county kept the entire $40,000 when it sold her condominium over a small unpaid tax bill. The justices ruled that Hennepin County, Minnesota violated the constitutional rights of the woman, Geraldine Tyler, by taking her property without paying “just…

Tina Turner, Unstoppable Superstar Whose Hits Included ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It,’ Dead At 83

NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Turner, the unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ’70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” has died at 83. Turner died Tuesday, after…

Target Becomes Latest Company To Suffer Backlash For LGBTQ+ Support, Pulls Some Pride Month Clothing

NEW YORK (AP) — Target is removing some items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month after intense backlash from some customers who confronted workers and tipped over displays. “Since introducing this year’s collection, we’ve experienced threats impacting our team members’ sense of safety and well-being while at work,” Target said…

Minnesota Legislature Puts Final Touches On $72B Budget As Democrats Celebrate Successes

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Legislature was putting the final touches on a $72 billion state budget Monday as Democrats celebrated enacting an ambitious agenda that ranged from protecting abortion rights, to providing more resources for education, to legalizing marijuana. The big tax bill of the session, which cleared its final test Sunday evening, included $3 billion in tax…

Judge Enters Not Guilty Pleas For Suspect In Stabbing Deaths Of 4 University Of Idaho Students

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge entered not guilty pleas Monday for a man charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, setting the stage for a trial in which he could potentially face the death penalty. The Nov. 13, 2022, killings stunned the rural community of Moscow, Idaho, and prompted many students to leave campus early, switching to remote learning…

More Than 30 Million US Drivers Don’t Know If They’re At Risk From A Rare But Dangerous Airbag Blast

DETROIT (AP) — More than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel. Few of them know it. And because of a dispute between federal safety regulators and an airbag parts manufacturer, they aren’t likely to find out…

Supreme Court Sidesteps Challenge To Internet Companies’ Broad Protections From Lawsuits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday sidestepped a case against Google that might have allowed more lawsuits against social media companies. The justices’ decision returns to a lower court the case of a family of an American college student who was killed in an Islamic State terrorist attack in Paris. The family wants to sue Google for YouTube videos they said helped attract IS recruits…

Grand Jury Indicts Man In 4 University Of Idaho Stabbing Deaths, Eliminating Need For Hearing

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A grand jury has indicted a man who was already charged in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students, allowing prosecutors to skip a planned week-long preliminary hearing that was set for late June. Bryan Kohberger was arrested late last year and charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the Nov….

Prince Harry And Meghan Pursued In Their Car By Photographers In New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were pursued in their car by photographers after a charity event in New York, an incident that the mayor and the couple’s office described Wednesday as potentially dangerous and that instantly drew comparisons to the 1997 fatal car crash of Harry’s mother, Princess Diana. The NYPD did not provide immediate…

Authorities Say New Mexico Gunman Who Killed 3 Was Local High School Student; Still Seek Motive

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — The gunman who killed three people and wounded six others while roaming through his northwestern New Mexico neighborhood and apparently firing at random targets was a local 18-year-old high school student, authorities said Tuesday, noting they were still trying to determine a motive for the attack. Beau Wilson lived in the Farmington neighborhood where he opened…

3M Fires Company Executive For Inappropriate Conduct Weeks After Promotion

WASHINGTON (AP) — 3M has fired prominent company executive Michael Vale due to “inappropriate personal conduct and violation of company policy,” the maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics announced on Monday. Vale was promoted to group president and chief business and country officer just last month. Vale worked at 3M for more than 30 years, according to an April 25…

Minneapolis City Council Nomination Brawlers Could Be Expelled From Minn. Democratic Party

Courtesy: FOX 9 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Democratic Party will consider expelling anyone involved in a brawl that broke out at a political event to nominate candidates for a Minneapolis City Council seat. At least two people were injured in Saturday’s confrontation. The head of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Chair Ken Martin, said on Twitter that he plans to…

EPA Wants Iron Miners In Minnesota, Michigan To Slash Mercury Emissions

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Federal authorities have proposed new regulations that would force the Minnesota and Michigan iron mining industry to slash its mercury emissions. The rule announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week follows two decades of litigation and other pressure by tribes and environmental groups who have long urged the agency to adopt mercury limits. The six iron…

The US Has Approved $42 Billion In Loan Forgiveness For Public Service Workers. Here’s What To Know

(AP) — The U.S. has approved more than $42 billion in federal student loan debt forgiveness for more than 615,000 borrowers in the past 18 months as part of a program aimed at getting more people to work in public service jobs, the U.S. Department of Education said this week. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is open to teachers, librarians, nurses,…

Gun Safety Proposals Take Big Step Forward At Minnesota Legislature

ST. PAUL, Minn, (AP) — A pair of gun violence prevention measures long sought by Minnesota Democrats were added Wednesday to a broad public safety budget bill, significantly raising their chances of becoming law. By unanimous voice votes, an all-Democratic House-Senate conference committee approved expanded background checks for gun transfers and a separate proposal for a “red flag law.” It would allow…

Migrants Rush Across US Border In Final Hours Before Expiration Of Title 42

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday in hopes of entering the U.S. in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted — a change that many feared could make it more difficult for them to stay. With a midnight deadline looming, migrants in Mexico shed clothing before descending a steep bank into the Rio…

AP: Trump Digs In On Election Lies, Insults Accuser During CNN Town Hall Event

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming. Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused…

Mining Company Wins Approval For Drilling In Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A mining company has gotten conditional approval to begin exploratory drilling for copper and gold in northern Wisconsin, but state regulators say it must still meet additional requirements before the work can begin. Canadian company GreenLight Metals, doing business as Green Light Wisconsin, wants to conduct exploratory drilling at a 40-acre site owned by the U.S….

Rep. George Santos Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Alleging Fraud, Theft At Heart Of Campaign

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve. Santos’ 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and…

US Prices Stay High, Showing Inflation Pressures Persist

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer prices in the United States rose again in April, and measures of underlying inflation stayed high, a sign that further declines in inflation are likely to be slow and bumpy. Prices increased 0.4% from March to April, the government said Wednesday, up sharply from a 0.1% rise from February to March. Compared with a year earlier, prices climbed 4.9%,…

Minnesota Prepares For Near-Total Ban On ‘Forever Chemicals’

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota is on the verge of banning non-essential uses of “forever chemicals.” And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a woman who spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions that will be some of the toughest in the country. Legislators, environmentalists and family members paid tribute Tuesday to Amara Strande….

Minnesota Lawmakers Reach Deal For Free College Tuition

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Tuition at Minnesota’s public colleges would be free to residents whose families earn less than $80,000 annually, starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, under an agreement reached by legislative negotiators. If the full House and Senate accept the language, which would be part of a broader higher education budget bill, qualifying Minnesotans would no longer…