Month: May 2023

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A Polish court has convicted nine people, including two former activists of the governing Law and Justice party, of using donations to the regional Red Cross to fund an election campaign. The court in the city of Wroclaw estimated the scam cost the Red Cross some 3 million zlotys ($660,000). The

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chose a Christian school as his setting for signing bills Wednesday that ban gender affirming care for minors, restricts pronoun use in schools and forces people to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex in some cases. DeSantis has made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

By MICHAEL R. SISAK and DANICA KIRKA Associated Press 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

By COLLEEN LONG and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Two New York Police Department officers ambushed and killed after responding to a 911 call and the rookie cop who took down the gunman are among those honored Wednesday by President Joe Biden with the Medal of Valor, the nation’s highest honor for bravery

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Writers’ group PEN America and publisher Penguin Random House sued a Florida school district Wednesday over its removal of books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, the latest opposition to a policy central to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ agenda as he prepares to run for president. The federal

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. went up slightly last year after two big leaps during the pandemic. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the numbers plateaued for most of last year. Experts aren’t sure whether that means the deadliest drug

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, LINDSAY WHITEHURST and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, who has announced her resignation, tried to influence the outcome of a race for Boston’s district attorney and violated multiple policies, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog said in a report released Wednesday. The inspector general’s

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press CHINESE LANDING, Guyana (AP) — One of Guyana’s smallest Amerindian villages is waging a monumental battle that could decide the amount of control that thousands of indigenous people have over their land in remote parts of this South American country. The village of 225 residents is fighting in court to

By CLAUDIA LAUER and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press Thousands of Americans each year turn to state-run programs that provide financial assistance to victims of violent crime. The money is used to help with funeral expenses, physical and emotional therapy, lost wages, crime-scene cleanup and more. While interviewing people for a story on gun violence in

By CLAUDIA LAUER and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press The cold formality of the letter is seared in Debra Long’s memory. It began “Dear Claimant,” and said her 24-year-old son, Randy, who was fatally shot in April 2006, was not an “innocent” victim. Without further explanation, the New York state agency that assists violent-crime victims and

By REGINA GARCIA CANO and GONZALO SOLANO Associated Press QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has put an end to impeachment proceedings against him by dissolving the opposition-led National Assembly which had accused him of embezzlement. The right-wing president has denied any wrongdoing. He can govern for up to six months by decree

By KEN MAGUIRE AP Sports Writer LONDON (AP) — Katie Taylor had Olympic dreams long before she became one of the faces of women’s professional boxing. The Irish fighter won a gold medal at the 2012 London Games, setting her on course for a hugely successful pro career. She’s worried that future generations won’t get

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco wanted to make a movie for and about his father. Salvo Maniscalco had immigrated from Sicily to America in 1960 when he was 15-years-old. At 18, he became a hairdresser and raised and supported a family in Chicago. Like anyone dream casting a comedy about an

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Arab foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia have welcomed Syria back to the Arab League, and called for a cease-fire in conflict-hit Sudan ahead of the organization’s annual summit taking place in the kingdom . This year’s summit, starting Friday in the city of Jeddah, will mark the

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM, GARY D. ROBERTSON and DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will be banned in North Carolina after the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature successfully overrode the Democratic governor’s veto late Tuesday. The vote came as abortion rights in the U.S. faced another tectonic shift with