US & World News

Jake Knapp grieving the death of girlfriend Makena White

PGA Tour winner Jake Knapp is grieving the loss of girlfriend Makena White. Knapp says in a message his manager shared with The Associated Press that it's difficult to process. A friend has posted an update on White's Instagram page that she died earlier this week. The details of the death have remained private. They had been together for two years and she was known for her energy. Knapp is an easygoing Californian who played at UCLA. He won his first PGA Tour title as a rookie last year in the Mexico Open. He describes White as selfless toward others.

Trump's trade battle with China puts US soybean farmers in peril

American soybean farmers are worried about where they're going to sell their crops and whether they'll lose money this year because China hasn't bought any for months. Beijing traditionally has snapped up at least a quarter of all soybeans grown in the U.S. but it is in effect boycotting them. It's in retaliation for the high tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed on Chinese goods and to strengthen its hand in negotiations over a new overall trade deal. Farmers like Caleb Ragland in Kentucky hope there will be a trade deal soon, but some significant aid might be needed to help them survive. Trump says he's considering an aid package.

Sabally's 23 points lead Mercury over Lynx 84-76 in Game 3 of WNBA semifinals

Satou Sabally scores 23 points, leading the Phoenix Mercury to an 84-76 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 of the WNBA playoff semifinals. The Mercury now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. They can secure a spot in the Finals on Sunday in Game 4. Sabally's crucial 3-pointer and free throws in the final minutes helped seal the win. Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper each added 21 points. Minnesota's Natisha Hiedeman scored 19 points off the bench. The game featured 15 lead changes, highlighting its intensity.

Red Sox rally from a 3-run deficit to walk off the Tigers and secure a playoff spot

The Boston Red Sox streamed out of the dugout to greet Romy Gonzalez at the plate when he scored the winning run that clinched the team's first playoff berth since 2021. The Red Sox celebrated their return to the postseason on Friday night after a 4-3, walk-off victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was the first time in at least a century that the Red Sox clinched a postseason berth with a walk-off win. The Red Sox will play the best-of-three wild-card round on the road.

Alaskans are receiving $1,000 checks. Here's why

Alaska plans to start distributing to residents the annual dividend payment derived from the state’s $83 billion oil wealth fund. This year’s payout is $1,000 per person. It's one of the smallest Alaska Permanent Fund dividends in the last 20 years. It comes as lawmakers must balance the check size against other programs and needs that also compete for state funding. Lawmakers within the last decade abandoned as unaffordable a longstanding dividend calculation in favor of negotiating a sum during the budget-writing process. Had the old formula tied to the fund's market performance been followed, this year’s check would have been around $3,800 a person.

Trump's vast federal cuts create distrust on Capitol Hill as shutdown risk grows

As Congress confronts a possible government shutdown, it's also weighing the Trump administration's willingness to simply halt federal spending — even when it's against the law. Billions upon billions of dollars have been stalled, scrapped or withheld by the Trump administration so far this year. It's one of the most brazen affronts to the federal budgeting process in 50 years. And it’s creating an undercurrent of distrust on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers face a deadline next week to pass legislation to keep government funded past Sept. 30. The Trump administration is preparing to fire federal workers, rather than simply furlough them, if there is a funding lapse.

Private equity sees profits in power utilities as electric bills rise and Big Tech seeks more energy

Private investment firms that are helping finance America’s artificial intelligence race and the huge buildout of energy-hungry data centers are getting interested in the local utilities that deliver electricity to regular customers — and the servers that power AI. Billions of dollars from such firms are now flowing toward electric utilities in places including New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Greg Brown, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor, says that's because there’s a lot of money to be made. Buyout proposals are coming at a time when electricity bills are rising fast across the U.S. Opponents worry buyouts will further drive up electric bills for regular people.

FBI fires agents photographed kneeling during 2020 racial justice protest, AP sources say

The FBI has fired agents who were photographed kneeling during a racial justice protest in Washington that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. That’s according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press. The bureau had reassigned the agents last spring but has since fired them. The FBI declined to comment. The number of FBI employees terminated was not immediately clear, but two people said it was roughly 20.

Reds overtake Mets for NL's 3rd wild-card spot by beating Brewers 3-1

Gavin Lux hit two doubles and scored the go-ahead run as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1, overtaking the New York Mets for the third National League wild-card spot. Cincinnati’s win and New York’s 6-2 loss to Miami enabled the Reds to tie the Mets in the standings. However, the Reds — vying for their first postseason berth since 2020 — own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Mets. The Reds handed a rare loss to Quinn Priester after he had set a Brewers record by winning 12 straight decisions.

DNA evidence links a dead man to the 1991 killings of 4 girls at Texas yogurt shop

Austin police have identified a new suspect in the 1991 yogurt shop murders of four teenage girls. They announced Friday that DNA tests point to Robert Eugene Brashers, who died by suicide in 1999. The case remains open, and police plan to share more details at a news conference on Monday. Amy Ayers, Eliza Thomas, and sisters Jennifer and Sarah Harbison were killed at the "I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt" store. The murders shocked the city and became one of its most notorious crimes. Two men were previously convicted, but their convictions were overturned on appeal.

Sara Jane Moore, who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford in 1975, dies at 95

Sara Jane Moore, who spent more than 30 years in prison for trying to shoot President Gerald Ford, has died. She was 95. A longtime acquaintance says Moore died Wednesday at a nursing home in Franklin, Tennessee. A bystander knocked Moore’s shot astray in the 1975 assassination attempt in San Francisco. Moore eventually voiced regret. She was paroled from prison in 2007, roughly a year after Ford’s death. Moore dabbled in leftist groups but was also a sometime FBI informant. Her confusing background baffled the public. Even her own attorney claimed he never understood why she fired at Ford.

Listeria found in Walmart, Trader Joe's meals may be linked to deadly fettuccine outbreak

Federal health officials are warning consumers not to eat certain pasta meals sold at Walmart and Trader Joe's stores nationwide. Marketside Linguine with Beef Meatballs & Marinara Sauce sold at Walmart and Trader Joe's Cajun Style Blackened Chicken Brest Fettucine Alfredo may be contaminated with listeria previously linked to a deadly outbreak. FreshRealm, the food producer that distributed the products, says tests showed that pasta in the meals may be contaminated with the same bacteria tied to a recall of chicken fettuccine Alfredo this summer. That outbreak killed three people and sickened at least 17.

Transportation Department tightens noncitizen truck driver rules after fatal crash in Florida

The U.S. Transportation Department has tightened requirements for noncitizens to get commercial driver's licenses after fatal crashes that officials say were caused by immigrant truck drivers. The government announced the change Friday. A nationwide commercial driver’s license audit began after officials say a driver in the country illegally made a U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed two people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding for California because the state should never have issued 25% of 145 licenses that investigators reviewed.

Former national park superintendents urge Trump administration to close parks in case of shutdown

A group of former national park superintendents is calling on the Trump administration to close the parks to visitors in case of a government shutdown. Forty former superintendents said in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that past shutdowns in which parks have remained opened have led to the vandalism of iconic symbols, destruction of wildlife habitats and possible endangerment of visitors. They said parks are already under strain from a 24% reduction in staff and severe budget cuts. Leaving parks open to visitors in a possible shutdown will make it much worse, they said.

Judge rules 'MyPillow Guy' Mike Lindell defamed Smartmatic with false claims on voting machines

A federal judge in Minnesota has ruled that MyPillow founder Mike Lindell defamed election technology company Smartmatic by falsely claiming its voting machines helped rig the 2020 presidential election. The judge identified 51 instances where Lindell made false claims. However, the question of whether Lindell acted with "actual malice" won't be resolved until later. Smartmatic needs to prove that to collect damages. Lindell has faced similar legal issues with Dominion Voting Systems. He says he plans to continue his fight against voting machines. He also continues to express interest in a possible run for governor of Minnesota against incumbent Tim Walz.

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