US & World News

'Brady Bunch' house, used in exterior shots for the popular sitcom, gets LA landmark status

The LA city council has voted unanimously to designate the the so-called “Brady Bunch” house in the San Fernando Valley as a historic-cultural monument. The vote grants landmark protections to the house on Dilling Avenue that was used for exterior shots of the TV sitcom that ran from 1969 to 1974. Interior scenes were shot on a soundstage, with sets that bore no resemblance to the property that become a photo-op magnet for “Brady Bunch” fans. The landmark status protects the home, built in 1959, from demolition or major renovations — but doesn’t prohibit them.

What to know about the investigation into Catholic priests in Rhode Island and sexual abuse charges

A new investigation into the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island shows that an estimated 75 priests abused more than 300 children since 1950. On Wednesday, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha released findings from a multiyear investigation. Investigators say the diocese often moved accused priests to minimize scandal and largely avoided contacting law enforcement. Diocesan leaders dispute the report's conclusions and say the abuse is not ongoing. Neronha’s office has charged four current and former priests with sexual abuse for allegations stemming from 2020 to 2022. Three of them are still awaiting trial. The fourth priest died after being deemed incompetent to stand trial in 2022.

Judge rules companies are entitled to refunds for Trump tariffs overturned by the Supreme Court

In a defeat for the Trump administration, a federal judge in New York ruled Wednesday that companies that paid tariffs struck down last month by Supreme Court are due refunds. Judge Richard Eaton of the U.S. Court of International Trade wrote that “all importers of record’’ are “entitled to benefit’’ from the Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping double-digit import taxes President Donald Trump imposed last year under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Eaton also wrote that he alone “will hear cases pertaining to the refund of IEEPA duties.’’ The ruling offers some clarity about the tariff refund process, something the Supreme Court did not even mention in its Feb. 20 decision.

Lou Holtz, college football staple who coached Notre Dame to 1988 national title, dies at 89

Lou Holtz, the College Football Hall of Fame coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship and won 249 games over 33 seasons at six schools, has died. He was 89. Notre Dame announced on Wednesday that Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, surrounded by his family. Spokeswoman Katy Lonergan said a cause of death was not provided by the family. Holtz became the first and so far only coach to lead six different teams to bowl games during a career in which he compiled a record of 249-132-7. At Notre Dame, he went 100-30-2 in 11 seasons.

House committee votes to subpoena Attorney General Bondi to answer questions over the Epstein files

The House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. Five Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday support the subpoena proposed by GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina in a sign of continued frustration with the department’s review and release of a tranche of documents regarding the wealthy financier. The Justice Department had no immediate comment on the subpoena.

Camp Mystic victim's family asks a Texas judge to prevent the facility from reopening

A Texas judge is hearing evidence on whether Camp Mystic, where 25 girls and two counselors were killed in catastrophic floods last year, should remain closed. One victim's family also is asking a Travis County judge to halt any construction at the camp while their lawsuit is pending. Eight-year-old Cile Steward was swept away during the flooding and her body still has not been recovered. She's one of two victims never accounted for after last July 4's flood. Cile's parents have sued the owners of Camp Mystic, the all-girls camp along the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country that flooded last summer.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says at consumer protection trial that he resisted censoring platforms

Jurors in a bellwether trial about the impacts of social media on teenagers and children on Wednesday watched a deposition of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg that explores what the architects of Facebook and Instagram knew from internal research about negative experiences by young users and how the company responded since its early years. The deposition was filmed last year and shown to a New Mexico jury on Wednesday. Prosecutors have accused Meta of failing to disclose what it knows about the harmful effects of its platforms, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Depositions from Zuckerberg and Instagram leader Adam Mosseri are centerpieces of the case.

Aaron Judge and a loaded US roster hope to dethrone Ohtani's Japan at the World Baseball Classic

Aaron Judge will captain a loaded U.S. roster at the World Baseball Classic. The Americans are chasing their first title since 2017. The tournament opens Thursday at the Tokyo Dome, then moves into games in Houston, Miami, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The U.S. plans to lean on stronger pitching, with Logan Webb, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Nolan McLean lined up to start. Japan, led by Shohei Ohtani. enters as defending champion with Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting Friday. The Dominican Republic brings a star-heavy lineup. Australia debuts top amateur draft pick Travis Bazzana.

Claims of 'rediscovered' Michelangelos unsettle Renaissance experts

An independent researcher has asserted that a marble bust of Christ in a Roman church is by Michelangelo. It's the latest purported attribution to the Renaissance genius who is one of the most imitated artists in the world. The unverified claim by Valentina Salerno on Wednesday has unsettled Renaissance scholars, especially since a recent sketch of a foot, attributed to Michelangelo but disputed by some as a copy, recently fetched $27.2 million at auction. Salerno has published her initial claims online.

The sea is higher than we thought and millions more are at risk, study finds

A new study in the journal Nature says most sea level rise research may have underestimated coastal water heights by an average of 1 foot or about 30 centimeters. The discrepancy stems from widespread reliance on gravitational models that account for Earth’s gravity and rotation but overlook local drivers of sea level including tides, currents and wind. Correcting this suggests a 1-meter or 3-foot rise could inundate up to 37% more land and threaten as many as 132 million more people. And that has major implications for climate adaption planning and finance. The findings come as a new UNESCO report warns that major gaps in understanding how much carbon the ocean absorbs are also skewing global climate projections.

Gov. Tim Walz tells a House panel the Trump immigration crackdown hampered Minnesota's fraud fight

Minnesota’s governor and attorney general are defending their efforts to combat fraud. They told a U.S. House committee Wednesday that their efforts have been hampered by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the state. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of stalling to fight fraud, putting politics ahead of rooting out abuse instead of pausing payments. Walz said the influx of federal immigration officers in his state has not helped to fight fraud and instead is "political retribution at an unparalleled scale.”

Target's new CEO says fresh eyes and respecting core values will help him regain customer trust

Target plans to spend billions of dollars this year to end a persistent sales slump and to regain its image as a fun place to shop for stylish clothing, housewares, beauty products and packaged food at affordable prices. The CEO guiding the turnaround plan is Michael Fiddelke, who stepped into the chief executive role last month but has worked at Target for more than 20 years. Fiddelke has his work cut out for him. On Tuesday, the mass-market retailer turned in another quarter of declining sales. During an interview with The Associated Press at the company’s Minneapolis headquarters, Fiddelke talked about how he is trying to regain the trust of customers.

Top FDA drug official is trying to hire a friend who's seeking a bold new warning on antidepressants

The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a request for new warnings on antidepressant drugs, and that's presenting an unusual conflict of interest at the agency. The researcher asking for the warning is a close friend of the FDA’s top drug official. The Associated Press has learned that Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg is overseeing the FDA's review of the petition by Dr. Adam Urato while also seeking to hire Urato at the agency. Under normal FDA standards, Hoeg would step aside from any work on the petition. But instead she's told FDA workers that they need to speed up their review of Urato's request.

Atlanta Braves' Jurickson Profar suspended for 2026 season following second positive drug test

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for the 2026 season by Major League Baseball following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner’s office said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second offense, the length of Profar’s suspension was 162 games. An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance."

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