Author: The Associated Press

Biden Orders Emergency Steps To Boost U.S. Solar Production

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden ordered emergency measures Monday to boost crucial supplies to U.S. solar manufacturers and declared a two-year tariff exemption on solar panels from Southeast Asia as he attempted to jumpstart progress toward his climate change-fighting goals. His invoking of the Defense Production Act and his other executive actions come amid complaints by industry groups that the solar…

Man Convicted Of Murder In Minnesota Clinic Attack

BUFFALO, Minn. (AP) — A jury found a man guilty of murder and other counts Thursday in a shooting at a Minnesota medical clinic last year that killed one staff member and wounded four others. Jurors began deliberating Thursday afternoon, following testimony by the defendant, Gregory Ulrich, and short closing arguments by each side, KARE-TV reported. Ulrich was the only witness for the…

Judge Delays Trial Of 2 Ex-Cops In Floyd Killing Until 2023

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The judge overseeing the remaining case of two former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s killing ordered Monday that the trial be delayed until January to improve prospects for a fair trial. Tou Thao and J. Alexander Kueng had been due to go on trial next Monday on charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter…

Police: Tennessee Shooting Leads to 3 Dead, 14 Injured

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, who described himself as an “avid hunter” and gun owner, called on Congress to enact “common sense regulations” to address gun violence.

Photo: Tierra Hayes/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — A shooting near a Tennessee nightclub early Sunday led to three deaths and 14 people suffering gunshot wounds and other injuries, police said. Fourteen people were hit by gunfire and three were hit by vehicles while trying to flee the scene, according to Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy….

Biden Evacuated after Plane Entered Airspace Near Beach Home

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) – The White House says a small private airplane entered restricted airspace near President Joe Biden’s Delaware vacation home on Saturday, and that led to the brief evacuation of the president and first lady. The White House says there was no threat to Biden or his family and that precautionary measures were taken. After the situation…

Stocks Sink As Wall Street Eyes Downside Of Solid Jobs Data

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell broadly Friday and pulled major indexes into the red for the week as Wall Street focused on the downside of the still-strong U.S. jobs market. A report showed employers hired more workers last month than economists expected. While that’s a good sign for the economy amid worries about a possible recession, many investors saw it keeping the…

Families Of Uvalde, Buffalo Victims To Testify In Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents of victims and survivors of the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde will appear before a House committee next week in an effort to bring home the devastation of America’s gun violence epidemic. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, said Friday the hearing will examine the human impact of gun violence and the urgency for lawmakers…

US Added 390,000 Jobs In May As Hiring Remained Robust

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added 390,000 jobs in May, extending a streak of solid hiring that has bolstered an economy under pressure from high inflation and rising interest rates. Last month’s gain reflects a resilient job market that has so far shrugged off concerns that the economy will weaken in the coming months as the Federal Reserve steadily raises…

Student Loan Debt Wiped Clean For Former Corinthian Students

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of students who attended the for-profit Corinthian Colleges chain will automatically get their federal student loans canceled, the Biden administration says, aiming to bring closure to one of the most notorious cases of fraud in American higher education. Anyone who attended the now-defunct chain from its founding in 1995 to its collapse in 2015 will get…

Police: Tulsa Suspect Targeted Surgeon He Blamed For Pain

(AP) — A man who blamed his surgeon for ongoing pain after a recent back surgery bought an AR-style rifle hours before opening fire at a Tulsa medical office, killing the surgeon and three other people before fatally shooting himself, police said Thursday. Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin says the gunman had recently undergone back surgery and had called a…

House Panel Taking Up Gun Bill In Wake Of Mass Shootings

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is beginning to put its stamp on gun legislation in response to mass shootings in Texas and New York by 18-year-old assailants who used semi-automatic rifles to kill 31 people, including 19 children. The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Thursday to advance legislation that would raise the age limit for purchasing certain semi-automatic…

3 Killed In Shooting At Tulsa Medical Building; Shooter Dead

TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) — Three people were killed Wednesday in a shooting at a Tulsa medical building on a hospital campus, a police captain said. Capt. Richard Meulenberg confirmed the number of dead. Meulenberg said the shooter also was dead. It was unclear how the shooter died or what prompted the deadly assault. “Officers are currently going through every room…

Jury Indicts Buffalo Shooting Suspect On Terrorism Charge

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A grand jury on Wednesday charged the white 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of first-degree murder. Payton Gendron, who has been in custody since the May 14 shooting, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Erie County Court. The 25-count indictment also…

Minnesota Students Walk Out To Demand Gun Changes

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hundreds of students walked out of class Tuesday and gathered in downtown Minneapolis to demand state legislators adopt tougher gun laws in the wake of last week’s mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The Star Tribune reported the students walked out around 12:30 p.m. and gathered in Gold Medal Park. They demanded officials create a statewide…

Severe Storms, Tornadoes Rip Through Western Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Thousands of people in Minnesota and South Dakota are without electrical power as the region recovered from storms and tornadoes that left damaged buildings, trees and roadways. The National Weather Service says in a preliminary report there were four tornadoes on Monday in western Minnesota, along with wind gusts and large hail. More than 37,000 people were…

Failed Search For UMD Chancellor Cost $166,000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The failed search for a new University of Minnesota-Duluth chancellor cost $166,000. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Thursday that University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel announced on Monday that none of the three finalists invited for interviews got the job. The university began a national search for a new Duluth chancellor in November after Lendley Black announced…

Agency: 1 Dead, 7 Injured in Oklahoma Festival Shooting

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation reports that witnesses said an argument preceded the gunfire just after midnight.

TAFT, Okla. (AP) – Authorities say one person was killed and seven were injured in a shooting early Sunday at an outdoor festival in eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that two juveniles were among those shot at the Memorial Day event near Taft, about 10 miles southeast of Tulsa. The agency reports that…

Police Inaction Moves to Center of Uvalde Shooting Probe

The delay in confronting the shooter - who was inside the school for more than an hour - could lead to discipline, lawsuits and even criminal charges against police.

FILE – Law enforcement personnel stand outside Robb Elementary School following a shooting, May 24, 2022, in Uvalde, Texas. When the gunman arrived at the school, he hopped its fence and easily entered through an unlocked back door, police said. He holed himself up in a fourth-grade classroom where he killed the children and teachers. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File) STEFANIE…

Air Travelers Face Cancellations over Memorial Day Weekend

According to the website FlightAware, more than 1,200 flights were canceled as of 2 p.m EDT on Saturday. That followed more than 2,300 cancellations on Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) – Airline travelers are not only facing sticker shock this Memorial Day weekend.  They’re also dealing with a pileup of flight cancellations. According to the website FlightAware, more than 1,200 flights were canceled as of 2 p.m EDT on Saturday. That followed more than 2,300 cancellations on Friday. Delta Air Lines suffered the most, with more than…

Minneapolis Agrees to Pay $1.2M to People Injured by Police

The city has agreed to pay a total of $5.4 million to people injured by police in May 2020.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minneapolis City Council has approved $1.2 million in legal settlements with two people injured by police during protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of officers in 2020. Minnesota Public Radio reports that settlements with St. Paul resident Virgil Lee Jackson Jr. and Nashville freelance photographer Linda Tirado mean the city has agreed to…

Gunman’s Final 90 Minutes Fuel Questions About Police Delays

A family pays their respects next to crosses bearing the names of Tuesday’s shooting victims at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) UVALDE, Texas (AP) — It was 11:28 a.m. when the Ford pickup slammed into a ditch behind the low-slung Texas school and the driver jumped out carrying an AR-15-style rifle….

Evers Issues Order Prohibiting Baby Formula Price Gouging

(AP Photo) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has issued an executive order barring price gouging on baby formula. The governor issued the order Thursday. The order declares that a period of “abnormal economic disruption” exists in Wisconsin and prohibits wholesalers and retailers in the state from charging “unreasonably excessive prices,” defined in administrative code as prices more…

Wisconsin GOP Leader Open To Arming Teachers In Schools

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s top legislative Republican says he is open to the idea of arming teachers following the latest school shooting in Texas, while he dismissed as “disingenuous” an offer from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to find common ground. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos told The Associated Press on Thursday that finding ways to better protect schools, including with…

Planned Parenthood Workers In 5 Midwest States Seek Union

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – About 400 workers at Planned Parenthood offices in five Midwestern states plan to unionize. The move comes as their employer deals with the potential loss of business in states where abortions may become illegal if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Ashley Schmidt is a training and development specialist for Nebraska and western…

Onlookers Urged Police To Charge Into Texas School

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the Texas elementary school where a gunman’s rampage killed 19 children and two teachers, witnesses said Wednesday, as investigators worked to track the massacre that lasted upwards of 40 minutes and ended when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team. “Go in there! Go in…

Texas Gunman Warned Online He Was Going To Shoot Up School

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The gunman who massacred 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Texas had warned on social media minutes before the attack that he had shot his grandmother and going to shoot up a school, the governor said Wednesday. Salvador Ramos, 18, used an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle in the bloodbath Tuesday at Robb Elementary…

FDA Chief Under Fire For Slow Response To Baby Formula Issue

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration faced bipartisan fury from House lawmakers Wednesday over months of delays investigating problems at the nation’s largest baby formula plant that prompted an ongoing shortage. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf laid out a series of setbacks in congressional testimony that slowed his agency’s response, including a COVID-19 outbreak at the…

Vigil, Rally Planned For 2nd Anniversary Of Floyd Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A candlelight vigil to honor George Floyd’s memory at the intersection where he died was among the remembrances scheduled for Wednesday’s second anniversary of the Black man’s killing at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Activists planned the vigil, along with a rally at the governor’s residence in St. Paul, for the two-year anniversary of Floyd’s death…

Texas School Shooting Kills 18 Children, 3 Adults

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 18 children, officials said, and the gunman was dead. The death toll also included three adults, according to state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who said he was briefed by state police on the fatalities. But it was not immediately clear whether that number…

Texas Governor: 15 Killed In School Shooting; Gunman Dead

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Fourteen children and one teacher were killed in a shooting at a Texas elementary school Tuesday, and the 18-year-old gunman was dead, Gov. Greg Abbott said Abbott said a local man opened fire at at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, about 85 miles west of San Antonio. ”He shot and killed, horrifically, incomprehensibly, 14 students and…

Biden To Sign Policing Order On Floyd Anniversary: AP Source

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden plans to sign an executive order on policing on Wednesday, the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death, according to three people familiar with the matter. The order would require federal law enforcement to review and revise policies on use of force, and it would restrict the flow of surplus military equipment to local police. In addition,…

Biden: US Would Intervene With Military To Defend Taiwan

TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden said Monday the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, declaring the commitment to protect the island is “even stronger” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of Taiwan’s self-governing in decades. Biden, at a news conference in Tokyo, said “yes” when asked…

Pfizer Says 3 COVID Shots Protect Children Under 5

(AP) — Three doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots. The news comes after months of anxious waiting by parents desperate to vaccinate their babies, toddlers and…

78,000 Pounds Of Infant Formula Arrives In US

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis, the first of several flights expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children. President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed…

Minnesota Budget Deals Remain Elusive Near End Of Session

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota lawmaker couldn’t find common ground on several budget bills Friday as the end of their legislative season rapidly approached. Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, said tax committee chairs have made “fantastic progress” on a $4 billon tax relief bill, echoing Republican Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller’s comments Thursday that a deal…

Wisconsin’s High Court Broadens Who Can Carry Concealed Guns

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A disorderly conduct conviction can’t disqualify someone from obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday in a unanimous decision that could dramatically broaden who can carry hidden firearms, knives and stun guns. The court found that disorderly conduct isn’t a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under federal…

Police: Chicago Shooting Leaves 2 People Dead, 8 Wounded

CHICAGO (AP) — Two people are dead and another eight wounded following a shooting near a fast food restaurant just blocks from Chicago’s famed Magnificent Mile shopping district that sent bystanders scattering, authorities said. The shooting happened about 10:40 p.m. Thursday near a McDonald’s on the city’s Near North Side. One person was taken into custody and a weapon was…

Biden’s Approval Dips To Lowest Of Presidency: AP-NORC Poll

(AP) — President Joe Biden’s approval rating dipped to the lowest point of his presidency in May, a new poll shows, with deepening pessimism emerging among members of his own Democratic Party. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s performance as president, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Research, dipping from already negative ratings…

‘Conversion Therapy’ Ban Falls Short In Minnesota Senate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An effort to ban “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ youth won a majority in the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate on Thursday, but it didn’t get enough votes on a procedural maneuver to advance to a full debate on the bill’s merits. With little advance warning, Democratic Sen. Scott Dibble, of Minneapolis, tried to pull his bill out of a…

Minnesota Sports Betting Bill Advances As Budget Items Stall

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A proposal to legalize sports betting survived a test Thursday amid lawmakers’ efforts to pull together the pieces of a package to spend the Minnesota’s enormous budget surplus with just days remaining in the legislative session. The bill, authored by Republican Sen. Roger Chamberlain, of Lino Lakes, would allow tribal casinos and the state’s two…

Congress OKs Latest $40B To Help Ukraine Repulse Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a $40 billion infusion of military and economic aid for Ukraine and its allies on Thursday as both parties rallied behind America’s latest, and quite possibly not last, financial salvo against Russia’s invasion. The 86-11 vote gave final congressional approval to the package, three weeks after President Joe Biden requested a smaller $33 billion version and after a…